Fox and Raven
by The Riddick
Summary: Set far in the future in the sprawling megatropolis of Japan humans live side by side with a new breed of pet: Nekogens. These genetically engineered servants were blended with the traits of domesticated animals and exist only to please and serve humanity. Sasuke Uchiha is a highly trained soldier the eliminates rouge Nekogens. He swore to never own a pet. And then he met Naruto...
1. Chapter 1: Cute?

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A/N:Figured I'd toss this one up here too. I know it's not an update for the Mass Effect story One of a Kind but due to make computer issues for the past several months I've been unable to type anything for you all. However, I did resort to pen and paper so now I am just copying it. Expect to see it soon.

In the meantime, I present to you an older fic of mine that is still in the works, FAR or Fox and Raven. I do not own Naruto nor it's characters, I am writing this for no profit only for my own enjoyment and your reading pleasure. Enjoy.

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Pets. Everywhere there were pets. It was like someone had let the Nekogen equivalence of a sex deprived bunny loose after feeding it Viagra and submitting it to days of porn. It was downright frightening. How people could even afford them these days was another question. Sure, the cost had dropped a great deal since the early days, but still, the breeding, the training, the shots, the food, not to mention the hours upon hours of programming went beyond what most should be able to afford. But, then again, most of the pets walking about were poorly bred mutts for the most part. Apparently a few breeders had slipped through the cracks. And so now, thanks to the overflow of dysfunctional hybrids, a one, Uchiha Sasuke was stuck cleaning up the mess. It was often a dirty job. It was also a very dangerous job. And in turn this made it a very high paying job with an even higher turn-over rate.

Sasuke himself had been a part of the "clean-up crew" for nearly seven years now, making him one of the few veterans and one of the longest employees of the N.P.S. in existence. But, there was a very good reason for this. He was very _very_ good at his job. In fact, he was so good at his job that he was now practically the head of the entire operation. Another reason that he had taken part in this wonderful job was due to his family issues, or rather, lack there of. One tended to have less concern about their own welfare when they didn't have anyone.

This of course brings us back to the pet thing. He felt that they were dangerous and that they belonged in zoos or not at all. They were not meant to be pets. Honestly, the Nekogen were a testamate to human kind's perverse and warped sense of playing god. The Uchiha sighed softly and ran a pale, callosed hand through his thick hair and checked the various weapons that were secured neatly upon his person. He looked about ready to head into battle or something. Twin high caliber handguns were at each hip, various pouches containing beam shurikan, various diamond infused throwing knives, gas grenades, tranqs, and extra ammo lined the front of his heavy duty black vest and nestled neatly in place across his back was a 52 inch diamond and titainium enhanced blade forged with elemental chakra properties. It was his pride and joy. Needless to say, he was a frightening sight to behold. Absently, he glanced toward the rest of his team that were still seated in the holding cabin behind him. There were four of them, and he only trusted two of them. Those were not good numbers.

The first, and probably one of the few people worthy of the Uchiha's attention was a one Hyuuga Neji. The tall brunette had come from a pretty upitty family, or rather, the branch of a pretty upitty family which was honestly worse then the latter. He was calm, intelligent, and almost as cold as Sasuke himself. Very few could boast such a statement. Neji had a very interesting gift. Not only had he been given the unique fighting style of his family, but he had also been given a pair of eyes that any would kill for. Next the Uchiha's eyes trailed to the sole female member of his group. Ugh. She made him cringe. No she was not ugly or anything, quite the contrary, but honestly, she annoyed him to death and made him consider retirement on more opportunities than he would have liked. Her name was Sakura Haru-something or other. He didn't really care enough to know. The girl was going to quit or get herself killed eventually anyway so there was no point in caring. She was pretty useless in his opinion, but then again, he hadn't seen her on an actual mission before. The third member of his team who was currently dozing off was a young man that went by the name of Shikamaru. This was the other guy that Sasuke trusted a bit. Shikamaru had been around for three years and despite being a lazy ass, he was a genius and capable of manipulating shadows. The Uchiha didn't particularly _like_ the guy. But, he didn't like people generally on principle. He wasn't a people person. And then there was yet another rookie, and possibly the most obnoxious person that Sasuke had ever met. Lee, or as he called himself: The Green Beast. Whatever. Sasuke just hoped that the loud idiot didn't get in the way and put his supposed Taijutsu mastery to good use.

"We are nearing our objective point, Uchiha-sama. Prepare for drop." Came the electronic voice of the airship's computer system. It was a smaller craft, sleek, and built for speed more than anything else. In his line of work speed was crucial.

"Hn." Was the only sound that showed his acknowledgement. Neji instantly rose to his feet and regarded the others.

"Drop commencing, get in line." He stated in a calm voice that held a slightly sharp bite to it, leaving no room for argument. Quickly, the other three lined up behind him at the hatch where the Uchiha waited. The craft lurched slightly and the hatch flew open. Without a word, Sasuke threw himself out of the craft. The city below was vast and they were several hundred feet up with the blackened neon lit buildings and streets far below. Of course, a typical human or pet jumping from this height would be suicide. However, they were not typical by any stretch of the imagination.

The five of them dropped for several long seconds, letting the Earth rush upward at a very frightening rate before holding their hands and feet downward. A blue glow encased the appendages and slowed their fall each landing safely above the drop point. Lee seemed to have the greatest amount of trouble with this and had to be assisted by Neji, much to the long haired male's amusement. There was nothing more satisfying than thoroughly embarrassing a rookie on his first time out. Sasuke landed gracefully and without the slightly awkward positions that the others had used. He was just that experienced in jumping. He slipped on the red screened eye communicator that allowed him to see information about the situation and buckled up the face mask that concealed the lower part of his face. Whether this mask had a specific purpose or was just for appearances didn't matter. No one was brave enough to question it.

"Reports are of a rare prototype pet being held in the target building. We are to find and capture this new type. Use extreme caution, it is not tamed and will be very unpredictable. I am not responsible for any of you idiots who gets out of line." He stated bluntly, his gruff voice slightly muffled by the mask. Without another word he took off at a quick sprint, the others close behind. This supposed new type had been stolen. Great. That was just what he needed to deal with. Some crazy money grubbers had decided to make off with someone's unique Nekogen meaning that it was most likely one of those wild types.

A wild animal that he had never seen before and angry thieves who didn't want to give it back. Wonderful. This was not a mission for rookies. Sasuke pulled up the layout of the building on his screen as they neared the roof entry. He nodded to Shikamaru and the genius moved forward confidently, scoffing slightly at the lock. He very easily hacked into the code pad and undid the security locks. Honestly, the fact that the guy was able to do such a thing so easily had Sasuke pondering what his previous occupation entailed. Nothing redeeming if his assumptions were correct. Once again the Uchiha took the lead, using the transparent layout to guide them to a small store room. The building was a warehouse of some sort, probably for old computers or something. Once in the room, Neji went to work forming hand seals, his chakra flairing only slightly to erect a genjutsu around the area. This genjutsu was to conceal and eliminate their conversation and appearances. The cold onyx eyes of the Uchiha focused upon his team coldly as they waited for instructions.

"Intelligence says that the pet is being kept in the basement level storage facility in a special holding area. We do not want to alert the thieves until after we have secured the pet. There is a good chance that there are chakra users among them as well, so keep your chakra levels low. Eliminate any threats and be careful. Purple and White, proceed to the main control room in the eleventh floor. Purple I need you to cut the power on basement two when I give you the go ahead. Also, reroute the doors so that we can lock the place down and keep the bastards from getting away. White, you know the drill. " Sasuke commanded, speaking more then he had in days. "Green and Pink, I'll be babysitting you so stick close and don't do anything stupid. We will need to analyze the new type quickly after locating it and containing It. Understood?"

" Yatta! I get to be with Sasuke-kun!" Sakura beamed happily, much to the black haired male's ire.

"Why the hell do I have to be Purple? I mean, why can't we get cool names like you do?" Shikamaru asked in mild annoyance.

"Would you rather me call you Fired because I like that code name too?" The Uchiha asked with a cocky grin. This of course only earned a rude hand gesture from the other and a muttered "troublesome." The five then moved out, Neji activating those unusual eyes of his. With a slight nod toward Sasuke, Shikamaru and the white eyed man vanished down a separate corridor. The Uchiha was highly unimpressed with the decor of this building. There was nothing to hide behind, which could prove problematic if someone were to round a corner. With a soft curse, he activated his own little ability. It was similar to Neji's in that it was also an eye technique, however this one was for an entirely different purpose. His dark eyes turned a bloodied red hue, black spherical shapes manifesting within the irises. His vision became far more accurate then normal to the point that he was practically predicting the future.

The trio had managed to descend several floors without encountering difficulty aside from the occasional guard or worker. Being so late at night, Sasuke expected as much. The sharigan user paused at the main lobby, the other two stilling and falling into the shadows behind him. Now things were going to get a bit more interesting. They would need to get into the elevator shaft without being picked up by cameras and without being seen by the receptionist that appeared to be checking in with others every five minutes or so. With a soft sigh, Sasuke formed several hand seals before himself, activating a low level genjutsu that would conceal them from the woman. He then motioned to Lee and the Taijutsu user moved against the wall until he was right below the camera, using his low level chakra to scale the wall and attach a small bug like device to the camera. He then motioned to the others and they silently moved to the elevator, forcing open the doors and dropping into the blackness of the shaft.

Meanwhile, Shikamaru and Neji had already reached their own destination. Shikamaru had very easily froze the operators in place with the use of his shadows while Neji simply knocked them unconscious and secured them in the corner of the room. There wasn't much of anything for them to do now aside for monitoring the screens for trouble.

" Raven, this is White. We have reached our destination without any difficulties, awaiting further orders." Neji stated into the com-peice attatched to his head gear.

"Understood. We have reached B-2. Stand by." Sasuke responded softly. The moment that they had entered the area, he had felt a huge chakra signature, one that had managed to take him off guard. In fact, it easily rivaled his own if not surpassed anything he could hope to achieve. It felt hot, angry, and violent. It also didn't feel human. "Green, Pink, Neutralize any nearby threats but avoid that big Chakra at all costs. I have a bad feeling that this is going to get messy..."

The other two nodded slightly, glancing at each other nervously. Sure, they were prepared for wild Nekogen and owners who didn't want to give them up, but covert operations, retrieving rare and dangerous Nekos, dealing with massive chakra that wanted to rip them apart at the seams? Not quite.

"Move." Sasuke commanded bluntly, before using his own chakra to launch himself through the room quickly and silently, assessing the situations as he sped through the halls and rooms. His sharigan was focused on that chakra signature. He had a sinking suspicion that he had found their target. Those suspicions were usually right. He landed in a crouch before a large steel door that looked to be enforced. The chakra was right on the other side.

"Purple. Open door 005 in B-2." Sasuke ordered, drawing his sword and readying himself. The door hissed and slid open slowly before him displaying a large open room of white with tables, lab equipment, and cages. Cautiously, the Uchiha entered and instantly, the chakra flared. So much for surprise. Moving slowly, the dark haired male made his way further inside. "Shut the door, Nara." He commanded in a whisper. The now attentive man obeyed. There were no cameras in that particular room, but he had a really bad feeling. If the Uchiha was that worked up, something really nasty must be in there.

Sasuke scanned the room thoroughly, pausing on a pile of fluffy blankets in the corner of the room. A small orange toy ball bounced across the floor between two tables and the Uchiha tensed, ready for anything. Or at least...he thought he was. A soft growl like giggle reached his ears and a small blonde haired child bounded after the ball. The child was absolutely adorable. It scampered about on its hands and legs like an animal, a thick blond fox tail tipped in black swishing behind it playfully. Sasuke blinked in confusion, stunned. The chakra was coming from...a kitten? He watched in a sort of stupefied fascination as the small humanoid pounced on the ball, biting it with small and yet sharp fangs. And then as if finally noticing Sasuke, the child that looked to be only around five years old locked its large, stunning blue eyes upon him. Two ears, easily twice the kitten's head in size rotated toward the Uchiha. Sasuke could tell right away that this was not a normal Nekogen. This one seemed to be an entirely different species. Silently, he sheathed his sword and acting on instinct, he crouched down, holding his arms out to the child. Blue eyes widened dramatically before a foxish grin lit the pet's features, chubby whiskered cheeks scrunching up cutely. The animalistic child all but sprinted over to Sasuke, leaping happily into the human's arms with a delighted yip, managing to tackle him to the ground. Sasuke let out a soft oompf as the little bundle of blond and black hit him hard, its tiny arms trying to encircle his torso.

"Uh...Raven? Was that a...giggle?" Came Shikamaru's uncertain voice.

The Uchiha sighed softly, and stroked the fox-child's soft yellow hair, earning a grateful squeal from it. " It's alright, Purple. I have the new type. Pink, Green, what is your status?" He asked while trying to keep his new appendage from playing with the explosives in his front pocket. That was the last thing he needed.

"There were only six guards and we have managed to take them all." Came Sakura's voice. The fox in his arms tilted its head cutely at the strange sounds coming from its new teddy bear, ears twitching. Curiously, the fox leaned up to sniff at Sasuke's face, those large iridescent eyes practically robbing the young man of his breath. Such beautiful eyes. And on a pet of all things! Those eyes lit up joyfully as if the fox had decided that Sasuke smelled good and was acceptable. The child licked Sasuke's cheek and let out a playful yip. The Uchiha couldn't help the small smile that lit his features and scooped up the little fox. Wait. He did NOT just think that this pet was cute...Shit.


	2. Chapter 2: Dobe

You would never imagine how difficult it was to clean up a mission with a furry little kid clinging to you and demanding all of your already thin attention. Sasuke quickly discovered this fact as the small creature refused to let go of him. He had tried **EVERYTHING** to get the pet to have mercy on him and stop invading his personal space with the overly cute-ness that radiated from the little bundle of sunshine. The fox had clambered up onto his shoulder, burying tiny clawed hands into his thick hair. Sasuke had attempted to remove the pet a few times only to have the little brat practically pull his forelocks off. The concern for pre-mature baldness outweighed the concern for his newly grown second head so the Uchiha had given up that tactic fairly quickly. He then tried coaxing the fox down with the ball that it had been playing with earlier. No dice. The kit didn't even pay attention to it. In fact, the pet seemed more enthralled with the Uchiha and the many fun "toys" littering his person. Sasuke had lost count of how many times he had been forced to pry an explosive tag or smoke grenade from the fox's mouth.

"Lay off, Fingers." The raven haired male had muttered before deciding on placing seals on each of his pockets. However, the little fox became even more excited when it felt Sasuke's chakra flare. It's large eyes widened impossibly further and it began babbling in some half animal, half baby language that had one of the young man's eyebrows disappearing behind his bangs.

"Yes, I have it too, Dobe." The Uchiha stated, nodding his head slightly in response to the fox's enthusiastic tugging and bouncing. When a look of awe marked the child's scarred face a deep chuckle escaped Sasuke's lips. How such a simple and annoying creature could be so cute was beyond him. That was correct, he had finally accepted the fact that yes, this little cretin was cute somewhere between raiding the computers of the lab and petting the fluffy tail that had curled about his neck.

"EE! RrrMine!" The kit squealed, letting out a happy purr like noise. Sasuke wasn't entirely sure that he had heard right and he honestly hoped that he hadn't for his own sake. The last thing that he wanted to deal with was a pet. The little fox nuzzled into the tall man's hair affectionately, his tail slapping unknowingly against the Uchiha's cheek, forcing him to hold back a sneeze. Honestly, he was beginning to wish that he would have had to fight the damn thing. Fighting was better than having the thing use him as a plushie. And then came the grooming. At first, Sasuke had been too mortified and too shocked to feel to slightly rough texture of a tiny tongue against his temple. The little fox then moved his attention to the man's oddly layered hair, licking at the glistening locks happily. The Uchiha had dropped the scanner that he had been carrying, watching with a detached fascination as it hit the floor with a clank.

"What the hell? Knock it off, Dobe!" He snapped out in annoyance. Apparently, the fox had not expected the harsh and cold tone of the other and its large ears instantly flattened against his skull. Large blue eyes teared up and a soft sniffle like hiccup broke through the silence that followed the Uchiha's remark. Sasuke felt his blood run cold at the sound and that feeling intensified with the small humanoid scurried down from his shoulder faster then even he could follow. The kit made a bee-line for the pile of blankets and dove beneath them, whining and sobbing openly the whole way. The dark haired male sighed in defeat and cursed every god he could think of before crossing the room to the trembling form in the corner. "Oy... Dobe?" His voice had taken a slightly more gentle tone that most would not have picked up on.

The Uchiha began digging through the blankets, smirking slightly when a single large ear popped up from under one.

"Dobe, come out of there." He murmured softly, but the fox only let out a whine like noise that honestly sounded more like a child having a tantrum than anything before burrowing further into the mass. Sasuke rolled his eyes in mild annoyance before lifting the little fox up and out of the pile, earning a squeal of protest. The blond struggled to free himself to no avail. Tired of the child's antics, Sasuke began tickling the kit and as expected, "Dobe" began squirming and giggling madly. The Uchiha cradled the toddler in his arms, forcing the kit to look at him. Tiny hands rubbed at tear lined eyes and large ears flattened against its skull tightly as another whine forced its way from the child.

"Dobe, no hair licking...understand?" He asked the yellow fox while raising an eyebrow. The humaniod looked up at him defiantly and stuck out his tongue before pouting. "Oy!" Sasuke chided, tapping the fox on the tip of its nose. The kit looked at him as though he had just bared his ass in public or something.

"Gomen..." He muttered under his breath. Sasuke Uchiha did NOT apologize. EVER. It just was not done. And yet here he was, feeling bad over a **PET**. That sealed it. That world was ending. He scratched one of the pet's ears with his forefinger and after a few more moments of pouting, the kit closed its eyes in contentment, purring beneath the attention. In a bit of a chain reaction, the blond fox grabbed Sasuke's large hand in both of its small ones, licking the finger that had been scratching him and thus causing Sasuke's jaw to drop open and a faint pink hue lined his cheeks. The young man rarely interacted with others, so how was he to know that his hands were HIGHLY sensitive.

He very quickly broke out of his stupor and lifted the kit back up to his shoulder in an effort to keep the fox from his hands. "Dobe" seemed delighted and once again clung to the other. Thankfully, he wouldn't have to deal with the runt for much longer. Sasuke was very puzzled by how much chakra seemed to resonate from within the little creature. It was frightening. If this was how powerful the pet was now, how strong would it be fully grown? The possibilities were troubling. WHo in their right mind had created this thing?! He honestly was worried about the situation. Pets NEVER were given more then the bare minimum chakra for a very good reason. Yeah sure, the kit was pretty cute and innocent now, but once it matured, it was going to be dangerous.

Sasuke grabbed his scanner and pocketed it quickly. He would need to check on the progress of the others soon. The dark haired man had issued orders to commence detaining those within the building for questioning while he finished up collecting the data that the thieves had on their target and eliminating evidence. Care on a mission like this was a must. The Uchiha settled the kitsune firmly in place on his shoulders, holding onto the small child's legs as a precaution to keep it from running off. Honestly, it looked perfectly content to nuzzle into Sasuke's hair and enjoy the ride.

"Purple, I am on my way up. How is the situation up there?" He asked into his communicator as he opened the hatch for the door.

"Everything is under control. We should be finished soon Raven." Came Shikamaru's response. Instantly, warning bells went off in his mind. Despite Skikamaru's lax tone, the wording was wrong. Trap. The moment that the hatch opened entirely, several guns cocked in unison. Sasuke sighed softly and removed his ear piece and eye screen, the seals on his pockets breaking as he placed them inside.

"Give us back the Kyuubi and maybe we won't have to shoot you."

A cocky smirk curved his generous lips. These fools never came up with new lines. It was always the same dramatic demands when they knew damn well that he wasn't going to give them the pet. An angry hiss from his furry companion signaled that the blond had no intention of letting go of Sasuke anytime soon. A chuckle escaped the Uchiha and he once again activated his Sharigan, the black spots spiraling wildly as his chakra flared outward dangerously in waves of blue. The little fox held tight to him as it bared its fangs.

"Katon! Gōkakyū no Jutsu!" He yelled while bringing his right hand up to his lips, a massive ball of flame bursting from him just as the men fired. Sasuke raised his arms up to hold onto the fox as he leaped vertically, avoiding the bullets and focusing his chakra into his feet in order for him to stick to the ceiling. The little pet squealed in delight, despite the destruction and screaming of the men who attempted to escape the blaze. The black haired male pulled free his blade, mindful of the child on his shoulders.

"Oi, hold on, ne?" He warned the kit who merely giggled. Sasuke dropped from the ceiling and landed momentarily on the floor before pivoting and dashing through the weakening flames that parted for him. There were several burnt bodies lying across the floor that he paid no mind to. Petty thieves were just pointless wastes anyway. The pet held on to him, blue eyes glinting with excitement as the Uchiha sprinted through the halls. Sasuke needed to get to the rest of his team. First were Sakura and Lee. He only hoped that they hadn't been killed. The last thing he needed was to have to file more death warrents for careless idiots. Yes, he was a bastard. Yes he was proud of that fact. Sasuke rounded another corner only to run straight into a brick wall of chakra, sending he and his adorable passenger flying backward.

A sharp grunt left his scowling lips and the air was knocked from his lungs. Instantly, his eyes shot to the flailing yellow fox that was headed toward the corner of a very solid looking wall. Without thinking, the Uchiha moved, twisting his body awkwardly so that he could grab the kit and shield it before slamming forcefully into the wall. Had he been a lesser man, the impact would have shattered his spine. Of course, the wall was now in pretty bad shape. He groaned lightly, looking down at the toddler in his arms with may have been mistaken for worry. Large blue eyes looked up at him adoringly and with a yip like sound, the pet nuzzled him gently as if sensing that Sasuke could have died. The black haired human leaped to his feet, his free arm cradling the fox as he narrowed his eyes on what had stopped him.

A very large, very burly man clad in some unusual outfit of leather, bandages and armor stood in his path. A wicked grin lit the obnoxiously muscled freak's lips and the Uchiha forced back a cringe. The man's smile was terrible, his teeth rotting and yellowed and even the fox seemed a bit put off by it. Wow, now that was saying something. Disgusted that he had walked right into the attack, the Uchiha shot forward far faster than the other man could follow, his blade humming with heat as he fed it chakra. It sliced through the attacker like a hot knife through butter, plastering the wall and floor with boiling blood as the shocked man split at the waist. Sasuke did not bother to slow and ran on, intent upon finding the others. He knew that Neji would be fine. The rookies were what had him worried. His eyes narrowed dramatically when the sounds of explosions ripped through the halls leading to B-1 and he put on another burst of speed. If there was one thing that the Uchiha was known for, it was his speed. He slide to a halt, barely stopping himself from falling through a gaping hole in the floor that stretched on for several feet , ending at the coiled form of a familiar pink haired female, whose fist was still partially buried in tile.

"AH! Sugoi, Sakura-San! Amazing strength to match youthful beauty!"

Sasuke knew that obnoxious voice anywhere. And sure enough, as the dust settled the thickly eyebrowed taijutsu master came into view behind the female.

"Eee! Sasuke-Kun! You are alright!" She beamed, completely forgetting the now pouting Lee. Sasuke did not bother acknowledging the female, he merely leaped the hole and started for the elevator shaft, the blond fox peering at the two newcomers curiously while ducking into the curve of the Uchiha's neck. The other two humans moved to follow, but it was Lee who first noticed the large pair of yellow and black ears poking up over their leader's shoulder.

"Raven, is that the new type?" He asked curiously, craning his neck to get a better look at the shy little thing that flattened its ears to conceal them.

"Yes. Right now that isn't important. We need to locate White and Purple. Damage report." He commanded. Sakura flinched at the cold tone of her crush/obsession. He was not in a good mood.

" Fine, Raven. We only sustained a few injuries that Saku-I mean, Pink was able to heal. Also, we eliminated three chakra users and several armed guards. We intercepted them before they could reach you and the new Type." Lee reported as Sasuke forced open the doors to the elevator once again. He nodded slightly in acknowledgement before gathering chakra in his feet and bounding upward quickly, leaping from wall to wall. The other two followed close behind as the kit in his arms squealed gleefully. This was all like some sort of roller coaster for the little Dobe. Rather then head into the main lobby as before, the Uchiha merely continued upward, wanting a more direct route. Of course, it wasn't until the churning of the elevator's engine alerted him of danger that he remembered why he hadn't used this route before. Well, the time for sublties was over anyway. He sheathed his blade quickly and fished within in pockets for a beam kunai, attaching several explosive tags to it before tossing it straight up with all of his might.

"Brace yourselves!" He warned the other two before landing on the thin indentation that marked a floor opening and turning his back to the shaft, keeping the small fox between himself and the wall as he tried to force open the doors. The other two scrambled to help the Uchiha, slowly prying apart the thick doors. A large explosion sounded several floors up, flame bursting into the elevator shaft and rushing toward them with a deafening roar. The three tumbled out of the shaft with the fox mere seconds before the back draft rushed past. They panted heavily as they lay sprawled out on the floor. This definitely was not a rookie mission. Sasuke moved to his feet quickly, the kit clinging to his vest tightly. "Let's move. Hopefully they will investigate the explosion and move away from the stairwells." He commanded as Lee helped Sakura to her feet.

The trio ran on, heading to the stairs and bounding quickly up the many flights. They maintained radio silence, not wanting to alert any enemies if Purple and White had been captured. It was on the eight floor that Sasuke felt Neji's chakra flare and he stopped, motioning for the others to follow him down another hall toward the flare up. The Uchiha tensed when he felt the small fox dig its claws into him a dark hiss of warning flying from its snarling mouth. That wasn't a good sign. Instantly, weapons were drawn. Of course the moment that they rounded the corner, the group lowered their weapons almost comically. Negi, the white eyed wonder stood calmly in the middle of the hall, several very unconscious people lying in a perfect circle that was four feet from his person. The tile at his feet were charred black. He smirked slightly at Sasuke.

"They ambushed us. Purple is taking a bit of a nap right now thanks to them, but other then that we are fine." The long haired man reported. Sasuke did not move. The kit had not stopped its soft growling.

"White, Green, retrieve Purple. Do it quickly and head to the roof and call in the team. Pink take this and follow them. Something is off." He murmured softly while prying the kit from his vest and depositing the struggling bundle in Sakura's arms. She looked down at the blond fox with a mixture of curiosity and fan-girlish awe due to its adorable features. "Dobe" fought against her strong grip, whining and wailing the loss of Sasuke. It reached out for him pathetically, blue eyes tearing up once again.

"Oi, Dobe, knock it off. You are fine. Pink will take good care of you and I'll be right up." The black haired man sighed, forcing back the urge to grab the little thing and comfort it. However, this did nothing to prevent the child from sobbing and wailing out in protest. Its eyes went impossibly wide as Sakura and the others began to speed off, leaving the Uchiha in the hallway. A blood curdling scream freed itself from its strong vocal chords. The fox clawed at the pink haired girl almost violently, desperation clear on its tear streaked face as they disappeared around the corner. Sasuke knew one thing. If he ended up getting through this mess, he would never want to hear that sound again.


	3. Chapter 3: Mine

A/N:: Okay, so I fail at being patient. Have another chapter. Mostly, I want to get closer to posting up the new stuff. -Loves-

And thanks to everyone that has rated and reviewed and read the story thus far. ^_^ I hope that you are all enjoying it and that you'll continue to stick with me through it.

_"Can anyone tell me what this is, class?" Came the gentle voice of a young man, barely in his mid twenties. All around the medium sized classroom, hands shot up into the air. What this teacher had motioned to was a humanoid. This humanoid was thin and feral, with a sleek muscular frame that was slightly hunched. cat like features marked it clearly including a pair of ears and matching tail, clawed hands, and paw like feet that cause it to stand on the balls._

"Ah, how about you, Yamanaka?" The teacher called out despite the soft groans of protest. A small girl, eight years of age at the most rose from her seat, her large eyes filled with superiority.

"Its a Nekogen, Sensei! Nekogen are our closest friends and exist to make us happy." She recited cheerfully. A collective nod came from her classmates who smiled in approval. Except for one.

"It's a slave." The only quiet and unhappy looking child argued curtly, dark onyx eyes glaring over at the blonde girl fiercely with an intensity that most children could never dream of possessing. The girl paled and stammered weakly as the boy rose to his feet. She dropped back down onto her chair, watching in shock and fear as the dark child strode toward her menacingly before turning toward the image on the screen.

"It's a beast... a wild animal that belongs in a zoo. It's a freak." He added in that same, moody tone that had even the teacher backing up a step.

"N-now, Sasuke-kun, please take your seat. Anymore outbursts like that and I'll have to send you into the hall." The teacher warned after snapping out of his stupor. The black haired boy regarded him for a long moment before turning and leaving the room on his own, ignoring the murmurs that followed his passing. Whispers of: "It is true that he is the last one left?" "Did he kill them?" "He's so scary!" They meant nothing. They all meant nothing at all.

-

"Come out. I already know that you are there." He stated in a soft murmur, his deep voice breaking the silence that had filled the empty hall. For a long moment, nothing happened. The Uchiha did not move a muscle, his stiff frame tensed and ready as he waited. His eyes were closed to the world, long dark lashes resting against his pale cheeks. He felt like at any moment some cheesy dramatic horror film soundtrack was going to start rolling in the background. And then it happened. A hiss like chuckle, malicious and profoundly amused, echoed all through the hall. Sasuke didn't react in the least. If anything, he appeared bored as he stood there. Why were villains such creepy drama queens?

"Hello... Sasuke-kun..."

Now that got a reaction from the black haired man. His bloodied eyes snapped open and he whirled to face the person who knew his name. Few could actually match his face with his name. It was never good for an enemy to know of it. Those eyes narrowed warily as he stared at the man before him. This person was tall, nearly as tall as Sasuke himself and he was dressed in an unusual garment that the young man had never seen before. It was a dark yellow shade, a tunic like style, over a skin tight black under garment. A thick purple chord wound about the man's slim waist. Honestly, it reminded the Uchiha of a pool noodle or something. His hair was long and perfectly kept, falling in thin black waves that shimmered even in the low light of the hall. A pair of goldenrod eyes, animalistic in appearance watched Sasuke with a gleam that sent goose bumps running down his body. This man was creepy. Very creepy. In fact, he fit the criteria for a villain almost perfectly. Pale skin, long hair, creepy semi-perverted and sadistic grin, and of course, eye shadow. God forbid a bad guy not wear some form of make-up! Tangent aside, The young man's lips twitched downward into a frown.

"Hnn... not very vocal are we?" The man purred, striding around the motionless Uchiha as if he were some sort of item for sale. Sasuke was uncomfortable. He did not like being uncomfortable. It annoyed him greatly. Without hesitation he flung a single beam kunai at the snake like man. He had a feeling that it would not hit, and his assumption was correct. The long haired male merely turned his head to the side gracefully. However, he did not seem prepared to have the Uchiha's hand enclose around his ankle from the tiled floor below, pulling the startled snake down through the protesting floor and slamming him harshly into the floor below. Dust and debris clouded around the lower hall as metal beams that supported the floor groaned against the treatment. Sasuke was not responsible for damages in his opinion. If they wanted the place left in one piece they should have sent someone else. The impact of the snake like man's body caused the building to shudder and with an angry crash of bone on tile the floor gave way, sending the long haired man down three more floors. Maybe Sasuke had overdone it a bit. But, this man threw him off. There was something unmistakably wrong about him and every inch of the Uchiha was screaming for him to get away.

Of course, being an Uchiha, he was not capable of running from someone regardless of who it was. And it was not seconds later that something rushed him from beneath his feet, the floor gaining yet another hole as the creepy man lunged up through it to lash out at Sasuke. The raven haired male jumped aside quickly, using the speed that his sharigan provided to safely avoid the strikes. He could tell that the man was pulling his punches, toying with him. Testing may have been a better word.

"So angry... Not very becoming of the heir of the Uchiha clan, Sasssuke-kun." The strange man hissed with a knowing smirk that only made the other angrier. Who in the hell did this asshole think he was? Sasuke's glare became even icier if that were at all possible. This person was treading a fine line.

"You know... they say that you are the one who killed them... Your cousins, your aunts, your uncles, even your own Mother...even your Father..." The snake began, deftly avoiding a violent and recklace punch from the Uchiha. "But I know better... Your dear brother did it... didn't he, Sasssuke-kun?"

"Shut up!" Sasuke finally snapped out, his hands forming seals faster then the eye could follow and a massive burst of flame shot out from his lips and fingertips, encasing the laughing man. As flames engulfed the halls the Uchiha's hands shot outward, several thin wires spiraling from the two bands that covered his forearms. these wires were quite nasty, each ending with a small metal hook and when used properly, they had the ability to slice clean through a man. The wires bound the burning snake and Sasuke pulled tight, holding them all in one hand while he focused his energy in his free hand. This man would die. This man would die right here at the hands of the Uchiha. No one spoke of his brother nor his family. No one. The high pitched chirping of electricity was a welcome, though slightly painful, sound as brilliant blue lightning gathered about his fingertips and licked up his arm. Chidori. It had been a while since he had used it, but this man was an exception. He pulled roughly on the wires, forcing the still chuckling villain to jerk toward him before sprinting head on toward the man. His arm thrust outward with enough force to shatter the walls around them, aimed straight at the man's heart. However, the attack never hit. Sasuke stared wide eyed at his still crackling hand that had been stopped easily by a larger, paler one about his wrist.

"Your brother is stronger than you. You will never find nor kill him in this condition. Let me help you Sasuke-kun." The long haired man purred, leaning in close until his lips brushed against the sensitive skin of the other's neck. Sweat rolled down the Uchiha's brow as fear shot through him only to be followed by anger and defiance. He struggled to free himself from the man's strong grip only to let out a scream when a sharp burning pain shot through his neck. The bastard **BIT** him! What the hell!? He could feel something rushing into his veins, joining his blood. It burned worse than a shot of Konoha Fire Sake and Sasuke crumpled, going limp. He fell in a heap at the smirking man's feet and weakly he moved his hand to touch the burning wound. His eyes went wide when he felt not only the two puncture marks but three slightly raised bumps that were spherical in shape. A cold sweat rushed over him and he convulsed on the ground. What had this freak done to him!? The tall man had been about to reach out and touch the twitching Uchiha when a blur of yellow shot down the hall, stopping over top of Sasuke. Angry blue eyes glared dangerously up at the snake like man, tiny fangs exposing themselves as an animalistic snarl came from the child. The fox. It's tail bristled in warning and the little pet arched it's back. A deep chuckle escaped the man's lips as he observed the child.

"Aahh, the Kyuubi must like you quite a lot, Sasuke-kun." The creepy man murmured, practically ignoring the fox child that looked almost rabid. And then without warning red chakra unlike anything the Uchiha had ever seen surged from the child. Brilliant blue turned violent red and fur spread all over the pet's body until standing protectively over the paralyzed young man was a small yellow fox. It was no hybrid or anthro, but a full out animal, complete with paws and a muzzle. True there were a few pets that were more animal then human and all, but this he had never really encountered before. Even the long haired villain seemed a bit shocked by the creature.

"So... you would fight even me to protect him, eh Naruto-chan." The snake man sneered, but the fox did not react more then to pin it's ears back against it's skull. Sasuke could only watch on as the man tried to come closer to them. He could not move at all now and he had a feeling that it was because of the bite. That violent chakra lashed out at the snake, searing flesh from muscle and forcing him back. Yet, that very same chakra caressed Sasuke almost lovingly, warming the prone male's frozen limbs.

"Very well. It doesn't matter now anyway. I got what I wanted and your little master will seek me out eventually anyway, Kyuubi." With that the slightly put off villain turned and began striding off through the now slightly less then functional hall. Sasuke let out a hiss of his own and writhed on the floor in agony as feeling once again began to return to him. The small fox continued to snarl and glare after the departing man while its chakra increaced its intensity. It was like the pet had turned into some kind of furry time bomb. The hate and rage pouring from it worried Sasuke. He was stunned by how quickly and easily it had gone from a harmless adorable little child to a dangerous and almost violent wild animal. Once again he was reminded of his dislike of pets. He reached out and placed a reassuring hand on the creature's head, stroking the thick fur gently. Sasuke knew that if he didn't calm the pet down, that the whole building would collapse. It took a matter of seconds for angry red to fade once again into pristine blue. And just as quickly, the fur receded, leaving behind a purring six year old again. The child leaned into Sasuke as he sat up and a content smile curved its lips.

"Mrrrine!" The fox exclaimed before hugging the silent Uchiha.

"Raven? Are you alright?" Came the voice of Neji as the black haired male slowly got to his feet. White eyes surveyed the damage that had ruined nearly four floors passively. Neji was not surprised in the least at the amount of damage. This was the Uchiha's handiwork after all.

" My fucking neck feels like it's on fire and I have a pet attached to my waist, not to mention the fact that Tsunade is going to eat my soul. So, not too shabby." Sasuke snapped as he tried to remove the fox from him again. Apparently, the little pet had learned from the last time and scurried around to cling to the Uchiha's back out of reach. Sasuke was too tired to bother with removing the kit so he merely sighed in defeat. "Let's get the hell out of here."

Neji nodded with a smirk and led the way back to the rooftop where the rest of the team was stationed. The craft had landed on top of the building along with a larger carrier filled with sweepers and other N.P.S. members. They were lower ranked and not usually sent on missions unless they were just cleaning up. Sasuke himself had only been forced to be on clean up duty once. It had sucked terribly. The little fox seemed absolutely ecstatic to see so much activity, its large eyes flicking all over the place as if trying to see everything all at once. The blond clung tightly to Sasuke's uninjured shoulder and refused to release him, even when Sakura and Lee had tried to coax it into one of the containment pens, the child threw a fit and began crying until Sasuke had pulled it down into his arms.

"Hmm, he's really attached to you, Sasuke-kun! You are so good with children!" Sakura beamed at him in a voice that held more implications than the darked haired male wanted to even think about. The fox on the other hand, began babbling in it's own little language at her while waving its arms.

"This is no child, do not delude yourself. It's a slave." The Uchiha stated before stepping inside of their transport unit. There was no reason for them to stay here now that the major threat had been eliminated. Maybe he was being to harsh. Maybe he should try to be a bit more open toward pets. That didn't mean he was ever going to. The Kyuubi must have sensed the dark mood that had come over the young man for it nuzzled into his chest. Sasuke seated himself away from the others, still feeling the dull throbbing of that bite. He felt sick.

For a moment he allowed his eyes to slide shut and he exhaled slowly. This mission was terrible. And then he felt the feathery touch of warm breath against his neck.

"Don't touch it, pet." He half growled in warning. The last thing he needed was for the fox to poke at the bite or something. However, the blond ignored the warning entirely and nuzzled gently against Sasuke's neck as his tiny hands tugged aside the fabric of his collar to peer at the bite mark. Three black tattoos had appeared like a brand against the Uchiha's pale skin and an angry growl forced itself from the child. The mark seemed to pulsate in protest to the fox's close proximity for it burned the dark haired male in spasms. The Kyuubi timidly ran his tongue over the mark and a faint hiss like cool water on hot metal came from the Uchiha's skin. Sasuke had to force back a grunt of pain and he had half a mind to chuck the furry idiot across the cabin, however, the fox repeated the action again and the pain lessened. He could feel the saliva from the pet soothing the wound and mark gradually.

Sasuke had heard a few times of the healing properties of a pet, but he had never experienced it first hand, let alone allowed one to get so close to him. And yet, here he was cradling a dangerous animal while it lapped away at his neck like some sort of starved kitten. It was strange. He felt almost comfortable letting the fox do as it wanted and he let out a soft sigh, leaning his head back against the seat. The burning was gone in place of a gentle tingling sensation that spread through his body slowly. It was awfully hazy in that cabin. His mind felt slightly foggy and if he wasn't mistaken, he was on the verge of sleep. Damn pets.

The Uchiha jolted awake abruptly, when he felt the light prick of fangs against his neck. Goosebumps rose up everywhere on his body and he let out a strangled yelp, forcing the little fox away from his neck. The kyuubi let out a pathetic whine and his little hands reached up for Sasuke's neck. But, the young man was having none of it.

"One bite a year is plenty enough." He chided, tapping the fox on the nose lightly, earning a pout from him. Sasuke was vaguely aware that he had allowed himself to give the creature a gender. Great. That was never a good sign. It was then that the Uchiha noticed how close they were to the Fangs. The Fangs were a set of nine massive spires whose true name was The Lumina Circle. They stood in an area that was off limits to all, regardless of status as far as the Uchiha knew. In fact the only activity around the circle came from the wildlife that inhabited the surrounding area. The Fangs were a strange phenomena and no one in the city really knew how they came to exist. Whoever had built them must have been a master for they were perfectly seamless, standing approximately five hundred clicks apart and gleaming a milky white that helped them earn their nickname. All around the Fangs was a thick lush forest that was the only remaining natural forest in existence. Because of this fact, the area was guarded fiercely. The high walled perimeter surrounding the forest was impenetrable and the airspace was monitored closely. However, as Sasuke stared at the looming towers that stood several miles away he noticed something very wrong with the ninth one that stood in the very center of the circle. It was an faint shade of crimson and it pulsated as if alive and breathing. The small child in his arms let out a low whine and backed further into Sasuke's chest, as if trying to keep as far away from the spires as possible.

"It's alright, Dobe. They are just buildings." The Uchiha sighed, but he allowed the fox to crawl into his vest anyway. He was exhausted. And he still felt ill, but thanks to the kyubi, his pain had been numbed greatly. When they finally began descending, the blond had fallen asleep and was snoring lightly, his fluffy tail sticking out of the bottom of Sasuke's vest limply. The dark walls of the NPS head quarters closed in around the craft as it landed neatly in the hanger. Outside of the craft technicians and several armed NPS members rushed about wildly. What all of the fuss was about did not surprise him in the least. The fox was a very dangerous creature, but he seriously doubted that it would hurt anyone. Neji had passively studied the black haired man throughout the entire trip and he was having a hard time preventing himself from smirking. Sasuke was growing attached to the pet. The ironies were hilarious.

With exhaustion clear in their weary bodies, the squad exited the craft. Sasuke forbid himself from showing such weakness, however and stepped out looking as cool and collected as usual, the kit still dozing in his vest. He was not ready to come face to face with the head boss herself though and his facade faltered momentarily. For her to show up, the fox must have been very important indeed.

"Uchiha, report." Came the sharp commanding voice of the large breasted woman. She was frightening, even to him.

"We have attained the new type and have apprehended many of the criminals. The rest will have to wait until we are in private and after my head has stopped spinning." He stated. Tsunade, as the woman was called, frowned slightly, her golden gaze hardening slightly before she nodded her head.

"I would like to examine the newtype before we have it exterminated. Shizune, have a squad take the new type to the labs. I'll be down once I tend to the Uchiha." She ordered and the dark haired assistant that was always at her side bowed deeply. Shizune was a Nekogen, much to Sasuke's annoyance. Surprisingly, there were quite a few of them working in the building. However, unlike the pets that Sasuke regularly got rid of, she was a well bred pet, her features more human then cat. The nekogen reached out her arms expectantly toward the Uchiha, however Sasuke did not move. In fact, his arm curled protectively around the tiny bundle in his vest and his free hand moved to the hilt of his sword. The Nekogen stepped back, her eyes wide in surprise before she turned to Tsunade. The Uchiha was never defiant to this extreme. The boss looked pissed.

"Uchiha, give the new type to Shizune or I will have you put on suspension." She warned and Sasuke was aware of every weapon in the place being aimed at him. His eyes flared to life with the Sharigan and a grimace curved his mouth.

"You will not harm him." He ground out through clenched teeth. If Tsunade had been surprised before, she was practically floored now. Never in her life did she think she would see the day that Sasuke Uchiha defended a pet, let alone recognized it as a living thing.

"It is necessary Uchiha, you know this. The new type is dangerous and needs to be eliminated before it can do any harm." The suddenly somber looking woman responded evenly. But, Sasuke did not waver. And it was then that the small fox decided to poke his head out of Sasuke's vest. A wide yawn split the child's face and he rubbed at his large eyes in a manner that was so obnoxiously cute that Sasuke could already feel himself getting cavities. The kyuubi's large ears twitched toward the blonde haired woman curiously and a large grin grew upon his lips. He waved happily at her, babbling in that weird language at her. Then the fox looked up at Sasuke adoringly, throwing his tiny arms about the older male's neck and nuzzling against his cheek.

"Sas-kay!" The fox giggled and the Uchiha felt his heart lurch. They wanted to kill this little kid? Sasuke found himself stunned by his own thoughts, actions, and emotions. He didn't want the child to die. He wanted to protect it. He wanted to see it happy. He was losing his fucking mind. When he returned his gaze to Tsunade, he was met with a curious sight. Tsunade looked as though she were about to cry. The woman shook herself to rid herself of the sudden emotion and sighed deeply.

"Fine. If it makes one wrong move, I am pulling the plug, understand. Shizune!"The woman said finally, earning a sigh of relief from not only the Uchiha, but also his team. They didn't really want to fight off everyone in the building to protect their leader. Shizune moved forward once again, a smile on her face as she reached out for the smaller pet. The kyuubi looked at her curiously, tilting his head to examine her critically. And as if recognizing one of his own species, the little fox's tail began to wag slowly from side to side. He cast a questioning look up at Sasuke to which the dark haired male nodded slightly. With a playful yip, the child leaped from the Uchiha's arms to Shizune who let out a growl like laugh and affectionately ruffled his hair.

"Uchiha, meet me in the medical wing. You look half dead and I cannot afford to lose you to some illness." Tsunade ordered firmly, ignoring the look of protest from the young man with a wave of her hand. "The rest of you, meet in the debriefing room upstairs in two hours. I want to know everything. Dismissed!"

A uniform salute came from the team, showing that yes they were well trained dogs, before they dispersed. Neji sent Sasuke a concerned gaze and strode to the Uchiha's side, Shikamaru following close behind. Of course like usual the dark male ignored them in favor of turning away from Shizune and the fox. Neji placed a light hand on the Uchiha's shoulder, his expressionless eyes flicking momentarily to the kit and then back.

"It'll be alright. We shall accompany you. _Purple_ needs to be checked out anyway..." The brunette added with a sneer. Of course Shikamaru awarded the older man with a wonderfully "friendly" hand gesture. A soft snort freed itself from the Uchiha and he shook his head before striding forward. Those two picked at each other like an old married couple or something. As the trio strode off a high pitched wail followed them and Shikamaru slowed to glance back. The fox was struggling against Shizune's hold, trying desperately to reach Sasuke.

"Tch...how troublesome...are you going to do anything about that, Uchiha?" He asked slowly, turning his surprisingly calculating eyes upon his leader's back. With a sigh, Sasuke turned and strode back to the squirming child, his dark eyes hard and unwavering. He could not allow himself to be swayed by the pet's cute nature. That would be far too problematic. The moment that he was within range, the blond launched itself at him, clinging desperately to his chest. Sasuke gently pulled the kit free and lifted him to eye level.

"Usuratonkachi... behave yourself. You can't cry every time I leave." He stated coldly and the little pet sniffled pathetically, his large eyes tearing up. "Now don't start that because it isn't going to work. You can't come with me. Go with the cat and they'll take care of you."

" SAS-KAY! Want SAS-KAY! NARUTO WANT!" The kit cried, squirming out of Sasuke's hold and burying himself in the crook of the Uchiha's neck. An annoyed sound came from the black haired boy and he yanked the child off, holding him at arm's length.

"No." Sasuke snapped firmly and those large ears folded against the fox's head. "Naruto, don't be a baby. You'll see me again."

That instantly had the child's face lighting up and a determined expression crossed his features. Naruto babbled in his half human language again and nodded sharply. Sasuke found himself frozen when the boy's eyes turned fierce, the blue lit with a fire that he never thought a pet could posses. And the single word that came from the pet made a odd warmth tickle through his body. It was said with such conviction and certainty that he was unable to voice a denial to it.

"Mine."


	4. Chapter 4: Reunion

A/N:: Some warnings for this one. Expect foul language and some minor adult type touching. Yes one of them is underage but in dog years he's like...20. _ Yeah not even I buy that.

It had been two months since Sasuke Uchiha had retrieved the new type Nekogen that had been later confirmed as an entirely new species of pet. The little fox had been studied extensively throughout those months and with approval from the head council of the NPS Konoha division and the head of the organization, Sarutobi, the pet had been formally named a Jinchuuriki. According to many investigators there were more of this new species running about. Of course they could have been just rumors. Tsunade had had a field day examining and observing the Kyuubi. Or so, that was what Sasuke had heard. He had not seen the fox since their first meeting. The pet had most likely forgotten all about him. It was for the best, he supposed. He wondered how much the little idiot had grown over the past couple months. The Uchiha himself had not had an easy time after the encounter with the strange man that had bitten him.

He often was in pain and fevered, despite Tsunade's treatment and constant checkups. Whatever that creep had introduced into his bloodstream was not coming out anytime soon. She had tried a whole series of tests on him that gave her strange results. His blood pressure had grown incredibly high, his body temperature as a whole fluctuated in extremes of too hot and too cold, and he looked pale and malnourished. There were times when he would even have fits of intense pain that surged through his veins mercilessly until he passed out. Even now he was seated inside of one of the many medical rooms within the infirmary, waiting to be poked and prodded like a good little pincushion. He had tried the whole "let's-get-the-fuck-out-of-here-before-the-witch-c omes-back" thing, but Neji, his supposed ally had led a full team to chase him down. Needless to say, they had sedated, hogtied, and returned the fugitive fairly quickly.

And so here he was, stuck under the close observation of that crazy bitch, Tsunade and forced to count ceiling tiles for all eternity. The wouldn't even let him watch television, claiming that his sharigan was going haywire or some shit. Whatever. There was NOTHING wrong with his eyes, let alone his most prized weapon. If he didn't get released soon, he was going to tear the whole damn place apart! And then in the midst of his hourly internal ranting, Sasuke's eyes fell on the paper covered wall to his left. Everyday for the past two and a half weeks he had been sent a drawing from his furry little admirer. The drawings were simple at first, all done in brightly colored crayon, typically depicting a large black blob as the Uchiha himself, and a smaller and yet still blob-like yellow thing as the little Dobe. As Sasuke's eyes trailed from one drawing to the next he could see the obvious leaps in skill that the fox exhibited. The blobs stopped looking like blobs and were more humanoid. Then the fox had started getting creative with the two figures, having them holding hands or, having the smaller of the two sitting on the other's shoulder. The drawing he had received yesterday had been the most impressive. It was of a yellow fox that took up a large portion of the page, curled around a person that looked a good deal like Sasuke himself. Apparently, the fox had graduated from crayons. The Uchiha's stern and brooding face shifted ever so slightly as he looked at the drawings and a small smile lifted the corner of his mouth.

"I have another for your scrapbook, 'Sas-Kay' dearest." Was the wonderfully annoying sound that snapped the Uchiha from his observation and with his dark glare firmly in place he faced Shikamaru who leaned casually against the door frame. Already, Sasuke could feel the beginnings of a headache. Fucking Nara. "I have to hand it to the little guy though, he is getting pretty damn good at this."

The Uchiha waited silently as Shikamaru placed the newest drawing on the wall closest to Sasuke so that he would beable to see it well enough.

"Oh, Tsunade has some news for you. She sent me to let you know that she will be in to talk with you after the nurses finish taking care of you." Nara added in his usual drawl. Sasuke didn't even bother giving him one of his many single syllable responses. The raven haired male's eyes were fixed firmly upon the drawing. For the first time since before his forced stay in the infirmary, Sasuke wore a completely unguarded expression on his features. It was him. Not just something that looked similar to him, but a full drawing of his upper body and head, with enough detail to make it almost photograph like. It looked like Sai's work. Sai was a crackpot that worked within the NPS as a technician and informant. He was constantly drawing shit and was surprisingly very talented. But, it wasn't Sai's drawing, that much the Uchiha could see plainly. Where Sai used smooth and fairly rounded lines that were more delicate overall, this drawing was bold and slightly on the rougher side.

And of course the obvious givaway was scrawled sloppily in the corner in the dobe's handwriting of " Miss you, Mine! See me soon!" and something that looked like a signature. Now, pets could be taught basic communication, and could be programmed to accomplish certain tasks, but he could not recall one learning how to draw or write without being placed on one of the machines. It made the Uchiha wonder if Tsunade was seriously programming the kit. It also made him wonder at the fox's learning ability. It took weeks upon weeks for skills to appear in pets. Shizune, Tsunade's little assistant for instance, was a pure bred Nekogen female, programmed from birth to be the woman's attendant. She did not know how to speak and most likely never would. However, the cat could type, read, and comprehend just about anything you put in front of her. Not only that but, she had manipulated her programming to her personality, giving herself little quirks and almost human habits.

Sasuke didn't know how much he liked the idea of them actually teaching the kit. It was a risk. A big risk. All pets have their wild moments in which they become violent and uncontrollable, even Shizune. A trained pet was generally smarter and sometimes even stronger then the ones that are untrained. With the power that the Jinchuuriki breed was holding, it could be downright deadly under the wrong conditions. But, he let his musing slip away again and he focused on the portrait. He needed to get the kit to stop focusing on him. It was going to become problematic.

It had been a half hour later that his usual band of tormentors showed up to help him out of bed and to the showers. He hated this part of the day. The Uchiha was perfectly capable of showering on his own, but thanks to his condition, Tsunade had ordered three nurses and at least two armed guards to escort him and make sure that he didn't run gave him privacy once he was within the shower rooms. Before then, he was forced to stand there while they undressed him and checked on his mark. Now Sasuke was not one to care for modesty usually, but the way his babysitters watched him, including the men, made him want to cover himself immediately. And so as he stood stoically, ignoring the "accidental" touches of his ooglers as his layers of thick clothing were striped from him, leaving him entirely exposed to the view of them. But, he couldn't help the cocky smirk that usually stole across his lips in moments like these, moments in which they would stare at him with flushed hungry looks. And feeling a bit more evil today then usual, Sasuke stretched his stiff muscles casually working his still sore shoulder slowly all while remaining as expressionless and cold as usual. The reactions were far too predictable and yet strangely amusing. Yet he knew that doing this would cause him more problems in the future and he would need to counter it. With an annoyed flip of his eyes he turned from them toward the doorway pausing briefly before looking back at them over his shoulder with a look that would have sent most running in fear had it not been for the Uchiha's state of undress.

"All of you are dismissed after today as my attendants. I wonder... how will Tsunade-Sama react when she hears that her employees are sexually harassing their charges." He all but purred darkly, his face cruel and unyielding. Of course, all of them paled as expected and began sputtering apologies. Sasuke did not bother to pay them any mind, and without another word he strode through to the waiting shower room, feeling slightly more like his bastard self. The thick door slide shut with a welcoming hiss and locked itself neatly in place. He did not want to deal with any unwanted visitors. With a heavy sigh he stepped carefully across the cool tiled floor, bracing himself on the wall. For a moment the world tilted wildly out of control and Sasuke waited patiently for the dizzy spell to pass. Thankfully, these moments were becoming fewer in number. Determined to enjoy his daily bath, the Uchiha slipped into a steam filled shower room that joined with a larger, more open bath.

This was a therapeutic bath, more like a hot spring then anything and it was typically open for any employee or patient, however, due to Sasuke's unique condition, the rooms were closed off for an hour so that he could be pain free and at ease for a short time. Warm water fell upon his upturned face, and with a sigh of relief, he allowed himself to lose himself, to let everything go. In fact he became so lost in enjoying the water that he was oblivious to a pair of wide blue eyes that stared at him through the thick haze. Now, the owner of said eyes had not been told of anyone else being allowed inside of the baths with him, but for some reason he was unable to tell this dark haired intruder to leave. It was becoming difficult for him to breathe as his startled gaze followed the trails of water that caressed the pale flesh before him. Slightly fanged teeth gnawed on a trembling lower lip and silently, he shrank back against the far wall, praying that the black haired male would not see him.

And then, like a strike of lightning, an all too familiar scent hit him over the water. It was diluted thanks to the mist, but there was no mistaking it and a silent whimper escaped the blue eyed male's constricting throat. Sasuke. HIS Sasuke. He watched in a frozen stupor as the object of his attention ran large hands over himself slowly, toned muscles flexing beneath practically glowing skin. There weren't even words in his vocabulary yet that could possibly describe it. Those hands held his gaze and an almost hungry gleam entered his eyes, his pink tongue running over his lips nervously. It was a strange feeling that overcame him. He felt hot and tingly, as though every nerve in his body were being electrocuted. And a curious pressure formed between his legs. Large fox ears tilted forward as he cast a perplexed look down at his new discovery. Since when did he get a new tail? Currently he was blessed with three tails, but this fourth one was disturbing. However, his examination was cut short when the sound of a heated groan echoed throughout the room. His so-called tail twitched in response and he felt heat rush to his face.

Immediately his gaze snapped back up to Sasuke and he nearly gasped aloud. The tall male had turned around so that his front was clearly visible to the hiding fox. That face, though slightly paler and a bit more hollow looking than he could recall, was absolutely gorgeous. Thick dark lashes lay lightly against practically white cheeks that looked like living marble only to flutter open slightly, reveling glazed onyx eyes. Full, slightly reddened lips parted against a sigh and the blonde fox felt his jaw drop. That perfectly formed face was framed with soaked black hair that clung messily to Sasuke's face, forehead, and blonde's eyes trailed down to the man's chest and arms, noting that despite his muscular build, Sasuke was still very sleek, with prominent collar bones and a slim abdomen and hips. And that was when he could not hold back a whimper any longer.

His eyes had settled upon Sasuke's "tail thingy" noting that even though it was larger then his own, it was very similar, a fact that only reaffirmed his belief that Sasuke was his and his alone. The Uchiha himself had felt eyes on him long ago, but had chosen to ignore them at first. Of course, he had become quickly annoyed and had turned to get a look at his stalker. But the sight that had met his quick glance had caught him entirely off guard, forcing out a deep noise from his throat. The kit was here. But, perhaps kit wasn't the right term anymore. Crouched in the far corner of the showering room was what looked to be a fourteen year old boy. But it was not so much the fact that the fox was here, it was moreso that said fox was looking at him with such possessiveness, such...need... It had certainly thrown the startled raven for a loop. He didn't feel defiled or filthy like he did earlier. He felt...well... he felt pretty damn good about himself right then. True, he was not a pedophile or anything of the sort, but seeing the nearly human pet crouched naked in a state of full arousal was enough to get a rise even out of him. He blamed it on his lack of a sex life. And the fact that the little fox was practically edible looking. He had grown more than Sasuke could have expected. Through the hazy mist he caught small glimpses of the blue eyed wonder, sizing up the fox carefully while applying shampoo to his own hair.

The youngster's skin held a strange golden sheen that he could not recall seeing before. The blonde also had begun his transformation into maturity, his limbs becoming longer and muscular, his richly tanned chest starting to lose the remnants of baby fat and softness, and he had even grown two more tails. Said tails were twitching like mad and as Sasuke stole another glance at the boy as he tilted back to wash the suds from his hair, he noticed that those wide eyes were fixated on a certain portion of the Uchiha's anatomy. It was in that moment that a dark and slightly mean idea popped into his devious little mind. What would the little fox do if... heh. A brief flash of a smirk graced the Uchiha's lips for a second before vanishing. This would be interesting.

Apparently, this must have been the dobe's first experience with a nude individual. How precious. For some reason he was greatly satisfied with being the first body that the little fox had laid eyes on. Everyone else that the fox would see after him would have a difficult time of besting him. So he was a tad egotistical, was that such a crime? Naruto's eyes once again moved along the sleek, powerful form before him as trails of soft foaming soap slid slowly along the Uchiha's body and he was startled to realize that he wanted to mimic those bubbles, to touch the man everywhere. Deep Prussian blue flickered red. Sasuke washed himself of the suds, running hands over himself in a lazy sort of way that only fueled the smaller male's excitement. Those pale fingers brushed over dusky nipples lightly and in response, Sasuke let out a soft hiss and arched slightly. Now the fox was curious. He hesitantly lifted a hand to his own chest, looking skeptically at the slightly hardened nubs before lightly touching one. The slight jolt of pleasure that followed said touch had his eyes opening wide and snapping back to the Uchiha. The dark haired man locked his onyx eyes upon the trembling fox and Naruto was practically overcome by the look that shown in those depths. He wasn't sure whether to be afraid that he had been caught, or glad. The blond had heard many rumors from his nurses and attendants about the Uchiha's cold, emotionless, bastard tendencies, but from the heated stare he was receiving, he was having a hard time believing them. A little whine rushed from the fox as the taller male turned off the water and strode toward the opening to the baths. Every movement that the man made was beautiful for lack of a better word in the boy's mind. It were as if this black haired man were tempting him, daring him to do something, to follow?

Sasuke stepped gracefully into the shallow pool like bath, the hot water feeling heavenly against his skin. And as he turned to glance over his shoulder at his little visitor, he nearly fell. Seated in a very animal like position, mere inches from him, was the dobe. Dark blue, nearly violet locked with glinting charcoal. Apparently, the little boy was anxious about something. A slow smirk spread across the young man's lips and Naruto flushed scarlet.

"Hello, dobe... it's been a while." He all but purred as he breathed in the slightly spicy scent that had filled the room. Wait... spicy scent? Shit. The brat was releasing a chemical that usually only female pets had and said chemical was used to seduce those that breathed it in. Sasuke nearly smacked himself for his stupidity. He should have known that arousing the blond was a bad idea. Although, as another whiff of that addicting scent washed over his senses, his brain became more muddled. He knew that he was not getting out of this without touching the fox now. Said fox swallowed hard, apparently unaware of how he was affecting the Uchiha. The teenager was starting to look better and better to Sasuke's hungry gaze and turning fully, he grasped the boy's chin firmly and yet gently.

"Stop... waving your tails... or I am not going to be able to stop myself." He whispered with a soft moan before kissing the stunned teen fully. Blue eyes went wide as soft lips claimed his own and waves of heat overtook his slight fear, causing his tails to swish from side to side madly. His eyes slid shut against the feeling and he finally gave in and grasped the Uchiha's shoulders, whimpering into the kiss that was gentle and slow. Now kissing, Naruto had heard of and had even seen. But this...He had not expected this! What had Sasuke said about his tails? Of course, an answer to that question never came, for all coherent though fled the blond's mind with the feel of Sasuke's hands on his ears. The fox groaned, giving Sasuke the opportunity that he was looking for. The dark haired man slipped his tongue inside of Naruto's mouth, smirking against the squeak that the smaller male had let out. Of course, said squeak became a hungry growl as the Uchiha caressed and teased the blond's tongue.

The kiss turned very quickly into a rough, almost violent, game and hands fisted in hair, pulling each other closer. Naruto was fairly clumsy in this little dance, still adapting to the awkward feeling. Sasuke pulled away finally, letting the panting fox breathe while he tried to collect himself. Wave after wave of that intoxicating spice filled his heaving lungs and he knew that he was done for. "Sas-kay..." Naruto gasped out when the full scent of the black haired male's arousal hit him hard. The fox's eyes nearly rolled back into his head and he groaned lowly. He felt so hungry, but not for food, for the human before him. And then large hands were on him, lifting him into the bath. Sasuke settled his hands on the young pet's hips, guiding him into deeper water until it reached the dark haired male's chest. Now, he was a good deal taller then Naruto was, being twenty years old and all. However, the water made it easy for Naruto to float upward and wrap his legs about the older male's waist.

"Ugh...Naruto... you shouldn't do that..." Sasuke gasped weakly when the blond shifted against his errection. However, this only caused the little fox to do it again. Tails wound about the Uchiha's legs and held tight as Naruto buried his clawed fingers within that thick dark hair again. He wanted more! Sasuke ground himself into the teen, swallowing up Naruto's yell in a kiss. The fox was so glad that he had gotten paint all over himself now that he was here. He had been experimenting with paint, but that didn't seem to be his strong point at all and he had gotten more on himself than the canvas. Needless to say, Sakura had forced him to go take a bath. He had protested and fought and whined, but now he was oh so grateful that she had clubbed him over the head and drug him here.

Again Sasuke moved their hips against one another and instantly regretted it, for he found himself unable to stop. Naruto broke the kiss in order to throw back his head and let out a yell of pleasure. Lucky for them, the doors were locked or they would have had to deal with someone walking in on them to find out what the noise was about. Hungrily, the Uchiha placed open mouthed kisses along the blond's jaw and throat, licking and lightly nipping at the sensitive skin there. A breathless gasp rushed from Naruto's lips and instinctively, he tilted his head to the side in submission, baring his neck fully to the older male. At this point, Sasuke's muddled mind had turned almost animalistic, instincts that he could not recall having before surfacing and battering him forcefully. He felt such a powerful feeling build within him, one that was possessive and almost violent. And if he wasn't mistaken as he ran his tongue hungrily over his lips, his teeth seemed to lengthen.

Odd. Maybe he had been reading too many old vampire novels lately. He could see the fox's pulse beating erratically at the juncture where his neck met shoulder and before he could stop himself or even realize what he was doing, he bit down on that pulse. Naruto hissed in pleasure and writhed in his grip, pressing down hard against Sasuke's arousal. The sharp, metallic taste of blood brought the Uchiha back to awareness and he swallowed, moving to pull back. However, the blond only held him firmly in place, whimpering and arching demandingly. Sasuke could only moan and comply like the good little child molester that he was. He felt his canines extend further and chakra rushed from him into the bite. His eyes snapped open in shock as violent blue chakra flared all about them. It was his own chakra, but he had not released it! What in the hell? And as if in answer to his chakra, the fox's red energy emerged to intertwine with his.

Sasuke felt his eyes flutter shut against the strange, yet undeniably pleasurable sensation and he pulled far enough back from the small wound to run his tongue soothingly over the bite. Naruto purred deeply, sighing as he nuzzled against the dark haired man. And then with a rush, the chakra rushed back to them with such force that both were pushed over the edge from it. Steam rose from their naked bodies as Sasuke fought to remain standing, the blond clinging to him tightly. Well, if that wasn't some sort of record for orgasming, someone could have slapped his ass and called him done. Never had he come so hard with doing so little or having so little done to him.

"What the fuck was that?" He mumbled softly before turning his attention to the wound he had given the pet. His eyes widened dramatically when instead of a nasty looking bite, something that looked suspiciously like a mating mark met his gaze. Pets who were breeders normally marked their mate with a mating mark or Soul Brand. These marks made their mate untouchable for other breeders. But, humans could not leave Soul Brands. Sasuke was a human. Why was there a mark? His eyes traced the all too familiar design of his long dead clan noting that it was a bit different then the typical white and red fan. This symbol was black and red, the fan jagged and not so pokeball-ish or fishing bobber-ish. A thick black ring encircled the fan and through the center of the whole thing was a small white feather like shape. In its entirity, it was about two inches around on all sides.

"Hnnn... Sasuke... I feel you... I feel you in me." Naruto mumbled softly in a half purr and Sasuke could tell that the fox was half way asleep.

"What do you mean, dobe?" He asked, moving one hand up to trace over the strange mark. Usually, the mating marks were simple black lines that made some sort of unique pattern. However, this one seemed...special. Then again, it did come from a human. Wait...

"I said what I mean. I can feel you now. Your chakra, your spirit...I feel it inside." The blond replied with a slightly annoyed tone. "And don't call me dobe, you bastard!"

Sasuke raised a brow at this statement. Sure, people called him a bastard behind his back, and yes, he was quite aware of the fact that he was, indeed a bastard, but he hadn't expected it from the fox. He was tempted to drop the little moron and drown him. A nagging fear had begun to surface in the Uchiha's mind. If he had marked the fox, did that mean...Shit!

"Naruto... please tell me that this mark does not mean what I think it means." He demanded, locking his gaze on the whiskered boy who pouted at him.

"It means I am bonded to a Teme, dattebayo!" The fox growled. Sasuke's blood ran cold. Bonded. Mark. Him. Biting. Pet. Bonding. With. Pet. Mating. With. Pet. What. The. Fuck.


	5. Chapter 5: Venting

A/N:: Enter the Gaaracoon! xD Warnings for this chapter: Violence, mature language, Gaara being Gaara, and some angst.

He hated them. He hated this place. He hated. There was nothing else, nothing at all. He couldn't let there be anything else.A thick tail wound itself tightly around his pale legs with a slight shiver. This room was always so cold to him. But, he refused to voice his complaints or demand a blanket. He was not weak. His body was merely a tool after all. This fact should have depressed him and maybe it did to an extent, however, after being the pet of these people for so long he had become used to his fate. Besides, as long as they allowed him to kill, he didn't care. His tail flicked in excitement at the thought. Killing was that only thing that gave him satisfaction, or at least momentary satisfaction. A demented grin morphed his mouth cruelly, revealing his enlarged canines and those intense green eyes surrounded by think rings of black lit with a strange sort of manic pleasure. The sound of the door of his cage opened and instantly the young nekogen's face returned to it's emotionless state. Slowly, he turned his glare upon the person who had entered the spacious room. This person was afraid of him. He could smell their fear strongly and it caught his interest. This person was weak. Small reddish rounded ears tilted forward slightly in apprehension. Oh yes, killing this person would be fun.

"Gaara-Sama, I-I am here to inform you that Kazekage-Sama has a mission for you and your siblings." The young woman whimpered, her eyes filled with terror as he rose from his seat on the floor slowly. His pace was slow and even as he advanced on her, his raccoon like tail swaying from side to side deviously. He ran his tongue over his lips hungrily as her scent hit him. She was oh so frightened and smell of fear was so intoxicating. She was much taller than he was, but in his eyes she was so small. The strange Nekogen was mere feet away now and she flinched violently against the feel of rough sand brushing against her arm. Her pulse was beating erratically under her tanned skin. He watched in fascination as sweat beaded up on her forehead and her eyes grew even wider.

"Shukaku."

That one word had him recoiling back into the far corner, anger and fear shining within his mint colored eyes. A second person had entered the room, his tall muscular frame blocking the entrance. Thick legs supported his hunched body. They were very much like a feline's large clawed paws acting as his feet. His form was coated in dark brown fur everywhere aside from his chest, inner arms, and face. Two large cat ears were trained on the much smaller nekogen that watched him dangerously, a huge thick tail flicking every now and then.

"Leave. He is not stable. You should have told me and let me relay the message." The muscular Nekogen rumbled, letting the woman slip past. A low growling sounded from the small raccoon and he glared almost hatefully at the cat that moved closer to him. "Gaara... I'm sorry." The brown haired man purred out soothingly, His clawed hands stretched out in apology. The red haired raccoon did not budge.

"You'll be pleased to know that you'll get to kill someone tonight..." The big cat added softly, his mouth turning down into a frown. Gaara was frightening, even to him. Of course, he was one of the few that the raccoon would not attack. This was only because he served a purpose for Gaara. The younger male would not hesitate to kill him if he ever stepped too far out of line. A third nekogen strode into the room, this one a light tawny shade. She was also very tall and slightly hunched, though she was no where near as muscular as the brunette. Instead, she was curvacious and lean. Her blonde hair was pulled out of her way neatly in four ponytails, two large cat ears rotating nervously atop her skull. Over her upper body she wore a simple violet short kimono for modesty.

" We have been summoned, Gaara. Kazekage-Sama is ready to deploy us now." The young woman stated, glancing warily over at her younger brother. Gaara nodded slightly and strode past them into the hallway. Unlike these two, his feet were very much like those of a human at the moment. He had learned at a young age that he could easily shift and manipulate his body. Why? He didn't rightly know or care. He just could and that was all that mattered. His simple maroon robes fanned out about his body as he walked and he caught the sounds of his siblings falling in step behind him. They were his guardians, his babysitters. And surprisingly, for being pets they were extremely intelligent. Then again, their mother had been a very well bred neko, as had their father. Gaara was special, however. A Jinchuuriki, he was called. Whatever. He didn't really care. He had a purpose and that was all that mattered.

"Uchiha! Do you mind telling me why everything run by chakra in the whole damn building is now fried?!" Came the less than pleased question from a not so healthy looking Tsunade. She was completely drained of energy to the point that her age was beginning to show through her usual youth jutsu. " I would also like to know why every chakra user has a damn hangover!" She added as her left eye twitched dangerously. He could not help himself. She was going to kill him later for it, but he just couldn't stop it. His lips curved into his notorious smirk of superiority and as expected, Tsunade's frown deepened.

"You mean to blame me for their drinking habits?" He asked evenly, his dark eyes twinkling knowingly. Oh yes, he was going to die a painful death. But with Tsunade's strength so low, he was feeling brave. Her golden glare became murderous.

"Quit with the shit talk, Uchiha. You and Naruto have a great deal of explaining to do, even if I have to beat it out of you both." She hissed. A perverted giggle sounded from the corner of the room and both the Uchiha and Tsunade turned to glare at the man who was practically rolling with laughter, his masked face contorted in glee.

"HEHE! But, Tsunade-sama! HAHA! They've already beaten each other! GAHAHAHA!" He forced out as he held his sides in agony, his oddly rooster-like silver hair making him look deranged. The man was supposed to be a trained warrior and he was acting like a moron. Again. Sasuke had half a mind to find his sword and shut him up permanently.

"Kakashi!" Tsunade warned and the tall lanky man instantly became calm, leaning casually against the wall. Kakashi was an enigma to Sasuke. He knew very little of the man despite knowing him for several years. He had trained Sasuke from a young age and not once in all that time had he ever seen the man's full face and body. He always wore thick gloves, a loose fitting black hakama and haori, a face mask, and an eyepatch. He was like some kind of ninja scarecrow pretending to be a pirate.

" Where is the fox?" Sasuke asked stonily, pointedly avoiding her questions. Tsunade sighed in annoyance and motioned to Shizune who stood at the door. The neko vanished into the next room for a moment before a surge of blond and orange burst into the room.

"BAA-CHAN! What the hell is going on!? I can't get inside of my roo- OH! SAS'KAY!" The blond fox exclaimed before attaching himself to the dark haired male as he attempted to climb into the young man's lap. Sasuke rolled his eyes with a sigh and pulled the much smaller male into his lap, holding the squirming fox still so that he could pull aside the collar of his orange t-shirt. Tsunade's eyes widened dramatically when she caught sight of the mark that lay on the jinchuuriki's skin. Even Kakashi seemed startled.

"Heeeey, Teme! What's the big idea?" Naruto pouted, struggling a bit. Sasuke made a sound very similar to a growl that was quiet enough for only the fox to hear and the startled kit froze in place, his blue eyes wide. His ears flattened slightly and in submission he tilted his head to the side, nudging the underside of Sasuke's chin. What the fuck was that about! He had been fixing to claw the jerk to death when his body decided to start taking orders from the bastard! Sasuke on the other hand had decided that after all of the other crazy shit that had been happening to him, there was no point in thinking about it. He would just end up with another headache.

Tsunade had struggled to her feet and moved around her desk to get a closer look at the marking, her golden eyes narrowed.

"Well... this certainly confirms my diagnosis." She muttered as she traced the marking carefully, ignoring the glare she was receiving from the Uchiha. She knew that he was reacting because of how close she was to the fox and because she was touching him. Thankfully, Sasuke was too much of a stubborn stiff to allow himself to act. Besides, she would happily backhand him into yesterday.

"This is a Soul Brand, is it not?" She asked softly, her fingertips glowing faintly as she activated a low level jutsu that allowed her to trace the fox's chakra. She could see very clearly the massive red chakra that coursed through the fox's body, however, now a second chakra, nowhere near as massive twined about the first. This one was the unmistakable dark blue of her patient, Uchiha Sasuke. Tsunade was unable to hide her anger entirely. This little boy was practically her son and the Uchiha hadn't even waited until he had matured fully to molest him!

"I do not know how it is possible, but yes." Kakashi stated without moving from his place against the wall, his brow quirking upward curiously. Perhaps Sasuke was shaping up to be a fine young pervert after all. He was so proud. Tsunade turned the small blonde's face toward her, locking gazes with him.

"Gaiki... do you want this?" She asked softly, the seriousness in her tone and glare causing him to swallow his rude retort. He swallowed nervously, his large ears lying flat against his skull. He could feel Sasuke's hard stare and he flushed crimson.

"Yes..." Was the soft response that he gave her and a small, innocent smile graced his usually mischievous face and she could not help the softening of her features. Sasuke felt his heart jump oddly within his chest. It hurt. But, it hurt in a good way... he thought. What was the big deal? The kid was happy that he marked him. So what? Of course, the more irrational side of the Uchiha was immensely pleased. The fox wanted to be his. Was it odd for him to feel a tad giddy?

"Uchiha, as I said earlier, this confirms my diagnosis of you. You are not sick. Being the genius that you are, I know that much was easy for you to determine." Tsunade began, straightening and moving back to her seat. Once again she had slipped back into business mode. Sasuke merely stared emotionless. He knew that he was not ill. He also had a pretty damn good hunch as to what was happening. But most of all, he knew that he was not going to like what came out of Busty's mouth next. " Orochimaru has always been obsessed with the human form...with changing it and improving it. I'm afraid that he has done this to your body."

"What exactly has he improved in me?" The Uchiha asked dangerously, feeling Naruto snuggle against him tightly in reassurance. It bothered him that the woman spoke of that creep so easily, as though she had known him or something. He knew it was pointless asking the question but it had come so easily from him.

"Uchiha, I hate to tell you this, but you are turning into a Nekogen." Tsunade sighed sadly, knowing that Sasuke would not take this knowledge well at all. The Uchiha remained motionless, his face as impassive as always, but inside he felt as though he had just been kicked in the gut by Mighty Guy. No, this was far worse than that. He could feel his insides freezing over and bile rushed into his throat. His hands shook ever so slightly as they fell limply to dangle at his sides. He had known what was wrong. He'd figured it out from the moment that he had felt his conscious brain being shoved aside in the bathes. It had been silenced by a force that had been so primal and animalistic, so powerful, that the Uchiha had not stood a chance against it. This beast, this monster that had been placed inside of him had recognized the fox as powerful and highly attractive, the perfect mate. And it had oh so easily claimed him. Sasuke swallowed hard, his eyes sliding shut as another headache exploded inside of his skull. He was going to pass out. He couldn't take it. It was too much. Too many sensations were robbing him of sanity. He felt like he was on one of those spinning carnival rides that had been pushed into overdrive and it didn't seem like stopping anytime soon.

And then, there were small clawed hands moving through his hair, over his cheeks that he was sure had paled more than usual, and down his arms, soothing, trying to warm him, to keep him from falling. Soft purrs reached his ears and soft skin, indented with three scars rubbed gently against his neck. His hands moved to fist in the material of the fox's shirt while he bit his lower lip, keeping his eyes firmly shut. He was an Uchiha. He could face this. He would be no one's pet, no one's slave! And if anyone ever tried, he would kill them. His eyes snapped open and a small, barely noticeable smirk lifted the corner of his lips. Of all of the ironies he had experienced, this one beat them all. He felt his shoulder shaking slightly as an uncontrollable laughter bubbled up inside. He couldn't help it, couldn't contain himself and so he buried his face in Naruto's chest, giggling madly. Sasuke could feel all of their eyes on him and it only made him laugh more. It was too hilarious! He, Sasuke Uchiha, one of the world's well known pet haters had not only marked a pet but now he was turning into one! HAH! He was never going to live this down. NEVER.

"S-Sas-kay?" Naruto mumbled out softly, looking both confused and terrified. He didn't quite know what to make of the Uchiha's reaction. At first, Naruto had been ecstatic to hear that Sasuke was going to be like him, however, after seeing how the Uchiha was taking it, he wasn't so sure anymore. The guy was going downright looney! And then those obsidian eyes locked on him and Naruto swallowed hard, refusing to shy away from that icy glare. Sasuke was not laughing anymore. If Naruto didn't know any better he would have sworn that the man's eyes flashed violet.

"I need to think." He voiced emotionlessly. "Give me a moment..." Without another word he rose from his seat, depositing Naruto on the ground with a dull thump.

"H-hey! BASTARD! What the hell!? Where do you get off droppin me lik- HEY!" The blond snarled as he rubbed his ass and glared up at the retreating male that had vanished behind the door. " Fucking asshole! Don't walk away when I'm talking to you!" Naruto roared and bolted to his feet, trotting after the pale man dangerously. The other three occupants in the room looked on in bemusement.

"Well... I think he took it rather well, don't you?" Kakashi stated jovially, earning a nod from Shizune. Tsunade turned to the tall man after she could no longer hear the blond screaming curses her face turning dark.

"Kakashi... I need to keep a close eye on him for now. He is unstable and you and he now share more than ever. Also... that snake will be coming after him soon." Said the busty woman, causing the silver haired man's expression to harden as well.

"I understand. For the moment, I think I will give him some time. But after the lovers have finished their spat I will let him know of our arrangement." The masked man replied with a bow. Without another word, he strode from the room casually, whistling a merry tune to himself. Oh this would prove interesting indeed.

" HEY! DUCK-ASS!" Naruto screamed in frustration when he burst from the door to the roof, glaring lasers at the Uchiha that faced away from him. Before he could blink he was slammed roughly against the metal door he had just come through, the wind rushing from his body in a whoosh. He gasped out harshly, trying to force air into his lungs as he glared up at Sasuke. His clawed hands tore at the hand that held his throat and he struggled to kick the black haired man.

"This is all your fault, you know... Fucking slave...If I had killed you back then this never would have happened. I never would have been bitten by that freak..." Sasuke hissed lowly, eyes blazing. Naruto felt his chest constrict painfully and he fought the tears that swelled within his eyes. He let his body go limp in the Uchiha's grasp. " You are nothing but a low piece of trash created by humans as a fuck toy... and now because of you I am becoming the same!" The now red and black eyed male spat, tossing the fox aside. Naruto sucked in oxygen desperately, holding his throat. He glared up at Sasuke, angry that his vision was blurred by tears.

"Shut the hell up, you emo bastard!" The blond hissed roughly. "You fucking call me a piece of trash? Who's the ass-hat who can't get over the fact that he isn't going to be " Mr. I-am-so-perfect-that-my-shit-smells-like-roses-and -my-tears-cure-cancer" anymore!?" Naruto was beyond pissed. He was enraged. How dare this man think that he can treat him like that! The fox sure as hell wasn't just going to sit there and take it. He jumped to his feet, his ears laying flat against his skull.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed to slits at the bold words of the fox. The little shit needed to be taught his place. Unable to contain his rage, Naruto launched himself at Sasuke, fists flying. Sasuke avoided the blows easily, his Sharigan following the fox's movement. A snarl of frustration escaped the blond after several misses and his once blue eyes bled crimson. He would make Sasuke pay. No one treated him like shit! He was Uzumaki Naruto! The Jinchuuriki, the loudest most unpredictable nekogen ever! His red chakra rushed about him in a whorl of violence and Sasuke was forced back slightly. Faster than even his eyes could detect the fox was behind him, a sharp kick knocking the raven haired male forward roughly. Again the enraged boy moved this time flitting in front of Sasuke, a angry fist connecting with the Uchiha's jaw.

Sasuke's eyes went wide in surprise as he fell backward, his jaw burning from the sensation. He knew that he was going to bruise. He just couldn't believe that Naruto had actually attacked him. Then again, with a mental wince, the young man replayed his own words. He deserved it. Sasuke knew that he had no right to blame the fox for this. However, he could not contain himself. Fear battered at him as the world slowed down, his body connecting with the concrete and steel of the roof. He trembled almost violently. How could he kill that man like this? How could he get his revenge as a slave?! A weight fell onto his chest and he felt his upper body being dragged upward by the collar of his shirt. The Uchiha stared blindly up at Naruto, blood rolling free from his lowerlip.

"I hate you!" Naruto screamed, punching him once again, tears rolling free from those pained crimson eyes. Those three words broke the Uchiha. His arms went about the fox and he pulled the smaller male down against him, ignoring the other's struggling and cursing. "Damn you! Let me go!"

But he didn't let go. He couldn't. He hid his face against the fox's shoulder as the boy continued to yell out insults and threats, and even when the darkened sky opened up to shower them in rain, he did not move. Over the down pour he could still hear the fox cursing him, but the boy was not struggling as much. Sasuke's grip tightened on the teen and he shuddered harshly. He mumbled something softly. Naruto's eyes went wide and he froze in place.

"I'm scared."

The Uchiha's eyes burned as he stared up at the sky. And then he gasped softly as the fox hugged him fiercely, his clawed hands running over his wet locks soothingly. That was all it took for the Uchiha to start sobbing openly, clutching the teen desperately. He cried until his voice was shot and then he cried more. He cried for himself, he cried for Naruto and the things that he had said about the fox, he cried for the bloodied mess that had been all that remained of his family. He cried for the sky, for the rain, for the wind, for everything. When he had dehydrated himself to the point of exhaustion his tears stopped and his grip on the other loosened. Naruto looked down at him mournfully, his anger long since gone, those unreal eyes taking in the person he had been so obsessed with. Even with his hair soaked and unkempt, his eyes red and puffy, his cheeks sunken and splotchy the man was beautiful.

Naruto traced the other's cheek lightly where he had punched him. And with a faint smile, he spoke. "I... I'm happy..."

Sasuke looked at him blankly, barely able to keep his eyes open. Why on Earth was the fox happy?

"I'm happy because now you are like me... I feel...closer to you." Naruto murmured, resting his forehead against the other man's. Sasuke felt a warmth blossom within him beneath those words and the soft smile of the blond. He still felt like an asshole though.

"sorry." He breathed out in a whisper and that small smile turned brilliant. "Oh don't worry, Sasuke...You will be." The fox replied with a dark grin that had the Uchiha rolling his eyes. He didn't even want to know what punishment the teen had thought up for him. With a groan, the Uchiha rose to his feet, lifting the fox into his arms bridal style despite the teen's protests. He didn't want to let go of him just yet. Sasuke headed back to his rooms, grateful that everyone was so drained that they could not roam the hallways. For him to be seen in such a state was unacceptable. They slipped inside of the room quietly and after changing into dry robes, the now exhausted duo collapsed on the bed. Instantly the fox all but wrapped himself around Sasuke. Surprisingly, Sasuke did not protest. Naruto snuggled into the larger man's chest and looked over at the wall of drawings fondly. So the bastard did keep them all.

"Still hate me, Dobe?" Sasuke asked after a moment. Naruto couldn't help the small smile that he hid from the other.

"Tch! Of course, Teme!"He growled, but Sasuke could hear the change in the other's voice. He had been forgiven for the moment and a smirk graced his worn features before he drifted off to sleep. Unnoticed to the sleeping pair, a certain silver haired masked man sat outside the window, chuckling and reading a small orange book. These two were too much.


	6. Chapter 6: The Tanuki Part 1

A/N:: Hey kiddies! Here's the next chapter for you. ^_- Thank you so much to my raters and reviewers and even to you silent readers (Yes I see you -Yamato Face- 8[ ). -gives hugs all around-

-

It was glorious. The red streaks that dirtied his perfect pale skin were the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. There was so much of it! And all of it was for him and his mother. Grains of red tinged sand brushed against him almost lovingly, soaking up the pools of blood that coated the walls and floor around him. His mint eyes crinkled and his mouth contorted in glee. Oh how he adored having a purpose. True, it was not entirely satisfying, but for the moment, it was enough. A raspy cough caught his attention from the nearby hall and his small ears rotated toward the noise, long, thick striped tail twitching erratically.

He had taken on a more animalistic form in his mirth, his feet shifted into delicate red and cream paws and the reddish rust colored fur lined the backs of his robe covered arms and spine. His blood encrusted claws flexed and he turned toward the sound, licking his full lips hungrily. Yet another person would give him purpose and the though had him giddy with excitement. He was vaguely aware of the insistant whine in his head from the transmitter that had been fitted about his neck in the form of a collar. It was trying to get him to move on with his mission, but the Jinchuuriki ignored it. He would do as he pleased. His eyes landed upon an all but limp figure slumped against the far wall and a sinister grin tugged at his features.

"I won't let you go any further!" The annoying human yelled out, rising to shakey legs. The tanuki tilted his head curiously at the human's words. Did this man not want to give him purpose? He observed the other carefully, watching as the odd human bent and ripped off two orange colored leg guards. They crashed to the tiled floor, shattering it and sending cracks spiderwebbing along the hall from the weight. "There. Now! Show me your youth, my worthy opponent!" The tanuki snorted to himself and folded his arms over his chest, his black attire fanning out about him slightly. He was unconcerned by the loss of the weights. This man would still be far too weak to harm him. His sand rose up to weave around him placidly as he waited and the collar continued to send him impulses.

However, when the green clad human moved, it caught the nekogen offguard, his eyes widening slightly when his sand barely deflected the kick that would have surely hit him a second later. But the man did not stop in his assault, circling the stunned tanuki in a flurry of kicks and punches that he could barely follow. It was dizzying and it was beginning to annoy him. Gaara began to track the pattern in the attack. Kick, move, kick, punch, move, move, kick. It went on and on with slight variations, but he was able to anticipate each movement. The Jinchuuriki fed his sand chakra to give it more speed as he became accustomed to the other. He felt somewhat disappointed. And then out of nowhere a blinding pain erupted in his face, sending him flying backward to slam hard into the wall behind him. A grunt like growl rushed from his lips as the wind was knocked from him. The Jinchuuriki slumped to the floor, curling in on himself and craddling his injured face in his palms. He moaned softly as he rocked back and forth.

"Mother, what is this?" He rasped out, hissing lowly as pieces of hard sand dropped from his face. New sand rushed to repair the damage to his armor and with a low snarl, he rose to his feet and hands, tail bristling outward angrily. His eyes took on an unearthly glow, and the green clad human had to step back a few feet to keep himself from being impaled by a tendril of hardened sand that shot out at him. "I'll kill you slowly for that...Your blood will give me such a great purpose!" He was half mad from the pain and the rush of someone actually touching him. His fangs enlarged and peaked out from between his lips, ears lying flat against his head. Oh he would enjoy tearing this fool apart.

The crazed Jinchuuriki rushed forward, claws and fangs flashing. Lee barely managed to avoid them, surprised that the monster was able to almost match his own speed. And then he felt it. Sand. It had wound itself about his leg during the distraction and he let out a yell when it held him firmly in place. Gaara landed in a crouch a few feet away, smug smile in place on his face. His fist moved out before himself slowly and with a terrible chuckle, he tightened it in a quick moment. Lee screamed out in agony as thousands of grains of hardened sand shot clean through his leg, severing tendons and shredding muscle. The pain toppled him to the ground, his blood blossoming forth to join the rest of the guard's on the broken flooring.

Blissfully, Gaara inhaled that beautiful scent, relishing in the metallic tang laced with the man's unique scent. Almost daintily, he drug his trembling hand through the red mess, bringing his coated fingers to his lips and licking them clean. The tanuki was assaulted by the information that swamped his brain along with the glee that followed. He was aroused by it, by the sheer intensity of the entire situation. He had never been permitted to kill so many and to meet with someone whom was able to hit him and kill that person slowly was intoxicating.

"LEE!" The shout has the tanuki jerking back into an offensive stance, a deep, angry growl rumbling through his chest. His fur rose on end and he watched with slitted eyes as a man that looked strikingly similar to his current plaything rushed to the fallen human. Gaara was pissed at the inturruption and he voiced his thoughts with a loud hiss-like snarl. The older human glared up at him warily as he scooped up the nearly unconcious Lee. "Luck is on your side, demon, if Lee wasn't in need of help, I would be your opponent." Without another word the two of them vanished into nothing, leaving a very unhappy tanuki in a deserted hallway in the depths of the NPS headquarters. His enraged yell resonated through the building and he slammed his clenched fist into the floor. He would kill the both of them, no! He would kill everyone! No one would escape him! And then he would bathe in their wonderful blood and his life would have meaning.

-

" I want a fucking status report right now!" Was Tsunade's bellow as she surveyed the mess of the main control center. The room was ablaze with activity, uniformed humans and nekogen alike moving about to complete their orders. The computer monitors flickered violently from floor to floor in a dizzying manner that only specially trained nekogen could understand and comprehend.

"Tsunade-sama, we've been given word that the entire first three floors have been cleared and contained. So far the body count is above twenty. We are trying ot isolate the Jinchuuriki as best we can." Came a response from one of her subordinants. She slammed her open palm onto the thick desk before her, shattering the unfortunate thing in a crash.

"Damnit! What about the Hokage?" She snapped out, amber eyes angry and intense. Shizune wrapped a small, clawed hand about the larger woman's wrist gently, her long dark tail moving to encircle the blond in an act of comfort. Tsunade forced herself to calm, taking deep breathes and letting the dark haired cat set her at ease.

"He is still atop the main complex with Orochimaru," The subordinate reported," We are making little progress against the other enemies within the main complex, but the only worry we have in this one is the Jinchuuriki." At least there was that. Of course, it would only be a matter of time before the damn raccoon made it through the rest of the building. She was running out of options. Though she wanted to keep her best fighters in the main complex to assist the Hokage and the district soldiers, she knew that the tanuki was not going down without a hell of a fight. With a deep sigh, she picked up the headset that had been flung to the floor in her act of rage.

"Uchiha! Abort your current mission. I have a new one for you," The busty woman commanded.

"Go ahead." He responded through the reciever over the sounds of fighting and explosions.

"Grab the fox and Haruno and get back to the base. We have a pest problem for you to deal with," She began, leaning into the nekogen at her side slightly as she folded her arms under her chest. " There is a Jinchuuriki here and I can't spare anyone else. It's somewhere on the third floor. Find it and eliminate it. Now!" With that, she tossed the headset to the side and rubbed her temple with her forefingers. " I am going to assist the Hokage. No one is to leave this room unless absolutely nescisary. Keep monitoring the situation and get word to me through the other units if I am needed. And for god's sake keep the damn thing from getting into the armory!"

-

Sasuke cursed softly under his breath as he ran through the halls of the main complex, Naruto and Sakura close behind. His sharigan was going wild and the mark on his shoulder burned terribly. But he did not let it slow him down. Things had been wonderful only a few hours ago. He had been blissfully unconcious to the world, a soft, affectionate fox in his arms, and he hadn't been afflicted with the horror of his reality. And then BOOM! In a single dramatic instant, the hanger of the building had ignited into nothing, leaving behind a gapping hole. The building had sprung to life then, teams moving into position to defend the headquarters and the Hokage located just next door. He along with his team and Naruto had been sent along with seven other teams to the Hokage tower to protect the old man. Tsunade had been right about them trying for the head of Konoha district.

The bomb at headquarters had been meant as a distraction. Naruto cast a concerned glance at the black haired male, biting his lower lip. He could smell that something wasn't quite right with his Teme and it had worry coiling within his gut. Even Sakura seemed to sense that something was off. But they pressed on without comment. They had a mission to complete, afterall. The fox found himself excited about encountering another of his kind and the thought of having to kill it had his insides tying themselves into knots. Hopefully there would be another way. Sasuke threw an explosive tag at the wall before them, shielding his face as it exploded to give way to the night air. The trio leapt from the gapping hole, both Sakura and Sasuke using their chakra to ease up their fall. The sixty odd foot drop barely fazed Naruto who rolled into a landing at the bottom, three tails twitching from the rush. They took off once again across the open yard toward the base. It took them mere minutes to reach the front entrance, and with a quick command from the Uchiha, the thick chakra laced doors slid open for them. Just as quickly, he ordered them to close, locking the three of them within the structure.

"This is horrible..." Came the soft whisper from the pink haired female who covered her mouth with a hand, the reek of blood and death overwhelming them all. Naruto's ears twitched forward, listening for movement as he tried to isolate the unfamiliar scent of a nekogen amidst the hundreds of other smells. "What kind of person could do this?"

"Not a person...a demon." Was Sasuke's soft response. Naruto flinched beneath those words, blue eyes filling with saddness before returning to the task at hand. Getting angry at the teme wasn't going to get him anywhere. He'd deal with that bastard later. The fox moved forward and dropped into a low crouch, his nose a few inches from the ground. Inhaling lightly he picked up the faint scent of mildew, fur, and salt. His tails twitched erratically as he sensed a strange chakra, much like his own and he felt excitement coil low in him, like some sort of balloon swelling inside. A soft growl left his throat and he moved a hand to pick up a small grain of something tiny with two claws, bringing it to eye level.

"Sand..." He mumbled absently, examining the small reddish grain. "Smells like blood, old blood." He added before tucking the grain into the pocket of his orange pants. He hadn't really had much time to throw on the rest of his clothing, getting his tails through the holes on his pants took long enough, so he was bare from the waist up as well as his fur covered feet. Sasuke observed the fox curiously, noting that the blue eyes wonder seemed almost, hopeful? Of course he would be. This demon could very well be considered family to the blond and Sasuke couldn't really blame the kit. Then again, seeing the gore that lined the walls and floor, he wasn't sure if Naruto were truely the same.

"Let's go." He stated, striding forward. Naruto blinked comically after the dark haired male and Sakura as she followed along.

"O-oy! Wait for me!" He yelped, scrambling after them. After several long moments of searching and four floors of nothing, Naruto had, had enough. He stopped in the center of the hallway with a frustrated growl, his fur rising on end. "This is getting us no where! Didn't they block the fuckin halls?!"

"Naruto! Watch your mouth!" Sakura snapped, her own nerves fried from the adrenaline and stress of the situation. Sasuke turned to regard his fox for a moment, agreeing silently that they were no closer to finding the damn creature than they had been a long time ago. If they had bait or something, things would have gone a lot faster. His eyes narrowed when he felt Naruto's chakra flare. That was exactly what the blond was thinking. The blond focused inwardly, letting his annoyance and need to see the other Jinchuuriki summon forth the mass of angry chakra that lay within his body. Sakura flinched when the red glow first started and shifted back a bit, warily casting a glance at Sasuke who seemed intent to simply watch. The black haired man folded his arms over his chest casually and leaned against the wall nearest him, content to wait.

The glow darkened and grew more intense as it wrapped about the blond's body, snaking outward in hot tendrils. He snarled lowly as his animal features became more prominent. Fur crawled over his body quickly, his fangs enlarged, and his eyes became more slitted. Naruto dropped down onto his hands and feet as his tails thrashed in the air behind him. Sasuke inhaled deeply, his senses going crazy with the scent of the fox and the feel of that aura. It caressed him tenderly even as it raged outward to seek out their prey. The scars on Naruto's cheeks deepened as his face contorted until he looked more fox than human. He grew in size, standing a bit larger than a small car. Sasuke was a bit startled by the transformation. Just months ago the little creature had been small enough to ride on his shoulder and now it was big enough for him to ride! Oh they grow up so fast. He thought sarcastically. He regretted not being around to see the change. A new chakra signal broke the Uchiha from his musing and he felt the hair on the back of his neck rose on end and his gaze flitted to the other end of the hall where a wide eyed, blood ridden, nekogen stood. The dark eyed man glared intensely at the newcomer, and pushed off from the wall to move in front of Sakura.

"So you do have a brain somewhere in there, Dobe," He remarked without a change in his intonation, however his lips had curled into a smirk. He had to admit that he was proud of the little idiot. Somewhat. The snort he recieved from the fox was the only acknowlagement he was going to get. Naruto slunk forward, chakra receeding as he examined the Jinchuuriki. Sasuke made no move to stop him,but all the same, he watched the red haired creature carefully. If it made one wrong move, it was as good as dead.

The blond stopped a yard or so from the tanuki, inhaling the other's scent with a wince. The boy was bathed in blood, drowning out his natural scent. Naruto tilted his large ears forward inquisitively as he shifted back into his more humanoid state, earning a gasp like weeze from the other. Gaara was in shock. Never had he encountered another like himself before. His throat constricted into a painful tightness that was unfamiliar, his chakra flared up uncontrollabley and for the first time in his short existance, he showed genuine surprise.

How was there another? Why hadn't he seen others in the past? Were they identical? Did the fox have a purpose? A soft growl, sort of a greeting came from Naruto's parted lips, those black tipped tails swaying slightly in hope that the Jinchuuriki was not evil and was not a demon. So badly did he want those things to be true that his brilliant blue stare reflected it. Gaara forced back his shock in favor of his typical emotionless stare as he tried to wrap his mind around the fact that there was another one of them in the world and potentially more. He found himself entranced by the fox's eyes, their emotion and their color. So unusually blue. The now naked fox bit his lower lip as he studied the other Jinchuuriki. Naruto was overwhelmed by the saddness, the hopelessness, and the hate that filled those mint green eyes.

"Why are you doing this?" He asked, almost in a demand. The redhead shrugged slightly.

"Because it makes me feel alive." The statement was spoken with such conviction and so little regret that Naruto was stunned into silence. His jaw dropped open slightly, fists clenching at his sides, and his eyes narrowed dangerously. He could feel his body shaking slightly from the feelings that swelled within him. How could someone end up in such a mindset? What sort of hell could the tanuki have suffered through to become such a thing? And with horror, Naruto realized that he could have very well ended up the same way had it not been for Sasuke. Gaara on the other hand was busy sizing up the three tailed fox. He could sense the power that radiated from the small, lithe body and the fox had a pleasing scent. The other two individuals didn't even register with him. They were just wastes of time anyway. However, Gaara was not entirely sure how to proceed. He was curious but unaware of how to learn more, other than to attack. And then he smelled fear, not just from the pathetic human female, but from the blond. Gaara's eyes narrowed fractionally. "You are pathetic."

Naruto ducked his head to escape the gaze of the other Jinchuuriki, feeling his chest tighten and his eyes tear up. How lucky had he been? If Sasuke had not taken him in, protected him; if Sakura had not become a sister to him; and if the adopted family he had gained while in the NPS hadn't existed, he would have been identical to this tanuki. He was jolted from his internal battle when a large, comforting hand came to rest on his shoulder.

"Naruto, go protect Sakura." Sasuke's deep murmur, his mouth brushing slightly against the mark on the fox's neck. It had chills shooting through the blond's body, forcing his mind far far away from anything to do with being a monster. He nodded dumbly, dazed from the faint touch of the Uchiha's tongue against that mark. Naruto could feel the older male's smirk as he pulled away, placing a hand on the blond's head before moving to step between the two Jinchuuriki. Gaara's eyes had been rivetted to the interaction between the two, confusion and intrigue running rampent within his mind. He had never seen such acts of affection, as small as they were. And he was startled by the rage that seemed to coil within him at the sight. The human did not deserve to touch the blond, even if the fox was pathetic. And then the black haired man was moving toward the tanuki, emotionless aside from the faint, condesending smirk. Gaara knew in that moment that he hated this tall man. "Jinchuuriki, ka?"

The words had the tanuki bristling with unheeded would kill this man for his arrogance, would kill him for touching the pretty fox, and would kill him for having the nerve to stand between the tanuki and said fox. Gaara folded his arms over his chest, tail flicking much like a preditor's as he observed the human carefully. This man was different. Something was wrong with him. What? The Jinchuuriki was unsure. He watched unconcerned as the pale skinned human wrapped his glove covered hand about the hilt of an unusual sword, drawing it and holding it horizontally from the ground. However, when the man turned to return his glare upon the Jinchuuriki, Gaara felt an indescribable excitement bubble up through him. Red and black eyes, spiraling violently with such a powerful intensity that promised pain and dare Gaara say, blood? His body shuddered in anticipation and he ran his tongue over his lips. He could already taste the older male's chakra. It was dark, cold enough to rival his own. How, interesting.

Sakura moved to pull the fox back, resting her hands atop the small boy's shoulders to act as comfort for him. She had noticed the sorrow that seemed to have overcome Naruto and like she had on several occassions in the past, the pink haired female acted out the role of serrogate sister. Her green eyes then turned to the two opponents, her brow creasing in worry. Sure, Sasuke was amazing, but he hadn't fought in so long due to Tsunade's orders. And his opponent was a creature that had easily killed off dozens of soldiers with barely any effort. She blinked in surprise when three soft tails coiled about her legs and the small fox turned to hug her tightly. A small smile curved her lips as she returned the boy's hug. Even in his distress, the fox was trying to ease her worry. She was grateful.

Sasuke moved in a testing strike, his muscles tensed and in a set of motions that he could have never lost regardless of his inactivity. But he could feel his own weakness crouching in the back of his mind and the mark on his shoulder flared to life angrily. Gaara's sand reacted instantly to deflect the strike of the weapon, stopping it mere inches from his face. Sasuke's eyes narrowed as he calculated the situation quickly. His weapons would be powerless if he couldn't get through the barrier. A surge of sand moved to lash out at him and the Uchiha spun, blade singing as it blocked the tendrils that branched off to adapt to his movements. Sasuke twisted, slicing through the tendrils that tried to trap him with a burst of blue chakra through his sword and flipped backward into an offensive stance before Naruto and Sakura. The sand returned to its master, shifting about the Jinchuuriki's feet restlessly.

"Hn." Was the single sylable that left the Uchiha's smirking mouth before he sheathed his sword in a fluid movement. Gaara watched the other skeptically. This human was far too confidant for his own liking. And the man was smart. He knew it was pointless to continue an assault upon his barrier for it would only drain his energy. But, Gaara was absolutely sure that this human would not be strong enough to defeat him, even if he had figured it out. Sasuke clutched at his right arm, eyes never leaving the tanuki as the crackling of blue and white lightning began to lick up his dominant appendage. Naruto's ears flattened against the high pitched sound tat intensified as the Uchiha gathered more and more chakra.

The lightning grew more intense and Sasuke's hand contorted into a tense, clawed appearance from the slight strain on his body. The mark on his neck pulsed, turning hot and a firey orange hue. But he ignored it. He would worry about his body later on. Gaara's eyes widened slightly and he began compacting his sand around him, forcing chakra into the shell like case as it grew thick. The standard defense would have little to no effect against such a large amount of chakra. After mere seconds, the ball of hardened sand had formed completely and a small eye of sorts poofed into existance to observe his playthings. With a scoff, Sasuke clenched his hand into a fist and darted forward almost faster than Naruto could track, that crackling chakra screaming out its battle cries. The impact had the foundation of the building shaking. Lightening danced across the charred and cracking surface of the shell as the Uchiha's fist traveled clean through it. A Gaara shaped impression stood out against the back of the shield, from the force of the punch that had sliced through his defense with little difficulty at all and shattered the sand armor like thin glass.

The physical pain pulled a groan from the tanuki before as a last resort he forced out sharp spines of sand to stab at the human. Sasuke barely avoided them, getting nicked on his arm multiple times as he pulled out and leapt back, loosing an explosive tag attatched to a kunai into the hole he had created before it closed. The blast ripped through the halls, toppling walls and crumpling sections of floor. Gaara screamed over the concussion of noise as he was encased in fire and sulfur, burning his clothing, his fur, and charring his porcelin skin. His sand fell to the floor in chunks and the tanuki wobbled unsteadily on his feet. He was so unused to people bringing him physical pain. The tanuki's armor dropped from his body steadily in flakes and his reddened skin burned and tingled. He would kill this man for sure!

The hit had been excellent, however, the reprocussions of using so much energy hit Sasuke head on, dropping the black haired man to his knees. He panted hard as it seemed as though all of his energy were being syphoned through that damn mark on his shoulder. Sweat rolled freely into his eyes, blood from the shallow scratches the tanuki had given him twining about his flexing arm. His face flushed from fevor and the mark grew larger, several small black markings of varying shapes skittering out to cover his entire left side. Sasuke couldn't think straight, couldn't see properly due to the headache that had all but exploded within his skull.

Naruto instantly rushed to the Uchiha, all of his instincts demanding that he comfort his injured mate. He dropped to lap at the wounds on the other male's arm, ingnoring the fact that a great deal of violent sand was surging forth to kill him. However, a sharp yell and a heavy thud had the sand stopping and the unfortunate Jinchuukiki slamming forward. Sakura had moved to take up the place of the tanuki's opponent, her green eyes determined and fierce. She would defend them as long as she could and with another yell followed through her assault to toss a kick and another chakra powered punch into the Jinchuuriki's side. Gaara's face twisted into a pleasure filled smile that reeked of his bloody nature. He would use her as bait.


	7. Chapter 7: The Tanuki Part 2

"Sasuke?" Naruto asked softly, catching the older male's dead weight as the Uchiha collapsed into the blond's lap with a soft moan. He felt so tired and ill, the markings on his body pulsating with a acidic burning that seemed to be eating away at him. The fox was at a loss. What was happening to his teme? Large, confused, blue eyes looked on helplessly. Hands clutched at him, using him as an anchor as a stab of pain arched the Uchiha's back in a dramatic angle. Naruto swallowed hard, reaching out to touch the strange marks that had flared up all over the man's form. He hissed softly when the marks sent jolts of heat racing through his fingertips.

Instinctively, he lowered his mouth to press against the black mark on Sasuke's shoulder, his lips caressing it tentatively. It pulsed angrily at the contact and Sasuke jerked almost violently, but Naruto held tight, his tongue soothing over the marking. His tails wound about the Uchiha, holding him close as the blond repeated the instinctive actions he had performed when they had first met. His saliva cooled the pulsating mark, forcing it to calm and the black blemishes receded, leaving behind pale skin. Sasuke sighed softly, one of his large hands burying itself in Naruto's thick hair as he slipped into a daze. The fox purred softly, trying as hard as he could to put the older man at ease. A shriek snapped the Kyuubi from his focus on Sasuke and his head snapped up, eyes widening in fear. Gaara had Sakura pinned to the wall with a large claw of sand. She was bleeding profusely from multiple wounds. The red head stood a few feet away, sadistic grin in place as he licked her blood from his claws.

"Sakura-chan!" The fox cried out, lying the practically unconscious Sasuke against the wall before rushing forward. He deftly avoided the sand that shot out at him, twisting and ducking, leaping with a grace that he hadn't held a few moments ago. His fear had been shifted from himself the moment that the pink haired woman had screamed and he moved continuously closer to her. Gaara's smile deepened when the fox had rushed to assist the human. Before the Kyuubi could reach the pink haired female, Gaara moved, slamming his elbow hard into the blond and sending the small teen careening down the hall. The wind shot from the blue eyed males lungs as he felt a rib snap beneath the strike and he twisted in the air painfully to land on his feet. Even before he had landed, his body had begun correcting the fracture, but that didn't make it any less painful. He weazed and glared dangerously at the red head, his fangs poking out from his lips in a feral snarl, his eyes bleeding red. "Give her back!" Gaara merely tilted his head slightly to the side, dark smile firmly in place.

"Come take her," The tanuki responded simply. That was all the initiative that the small fox needed. Chakra pooled about his naked form and with an enraged cry, the blond struck. Sand flew to deflect the charging male, but Naruto spun to the side, dropping onto his hands as fur spread all over him. Within the space of a few heartbeats he was full fox again and rushing straight for the tanuki. Gaara narrowed his eyes slightly, crouching low to the ground while his sand continued to keep the fox at bay.

His own body shifted then, reddish fur consuming him until standing in his place was a large, unhappy looking raccoon dog, hissing lowly at the fox. Gaara lunged, his sand parting for him as he jumped at the startled fox, the duo colliding hard and slamming into the tile below in a flurry of teeth and claws. Tails thrashed wildly and snarls resonated through the halls while green and red chakra lashed out at each other. Naruto was steadily losing control of his instincts. He wanted the tanuki to pay for harming his bonded and his sister. The two separated, circling each other in a wide arch as the sand shifted restlessly around them, waiting. Muscles shifted beneath thick coats, eyes locked, and fangs flashed in taunting snaps. Gaara carried the bulk of his weight on his cream tipped hind legs, using his forepaws as balance, his thick tail bristled out fully. He was enjoying the clash between he and his kin, feeling a strange rush that he never felt with the others he had fought and killed.

Genuine rage stifled what kinly feelings he held for the tanuki as the fox let go of his instincts. He had no choice any longer. With Sakura's life on the line, he had to finish this quickly. Naruto snarled darkly as the final vestiges of his humanity slipped away. His aura changed then, in that moment, becoming thicker, darker, more malicious. It pulsed with a violence that was purely demonic. Gaara hissed in response to the shift, moving back a bit to escape the sudden heat that threatened to divest him of his fur. A transparent sort of coating hugged close to the fox's body, the angry red throbbing with the need for death. It wasn't simply blood it craved like the tanuki, no, it wanted to rip apart whatever living thing it could find, tear it down to the soul and incinerate any traces. This was not the same fox. The chakra compacted tighter and tighter around the yellow beast until in one fluid explosion, it burst, six new tails surging outward to twine with Naruto's original three. He let out a howl like cry, his size increasing to accommodate the greater energy. Gaara was dumbstruck, every cell in his body screaming for him to run. He knew without even attempting to fight the fox that he was no match for it in this state.

Naruto was out of control to the point of mindlessness, his body lunging forward to strike the tanuki that barely evaded the tackle. But faster than Gaara could counter, Naruto's tails ensnared him, constricting around the rust colored beast. The sand surged from all directions to attack the beast and with a loud bark like sound, heat rolled from the fox. The hot energy collided with the sand and in a burst of power, and a flash of light, it exploded, thousands of glass shards, stained red and green shattering against the walls and floor. Gaara bit desperately at one of the writhing appendages, claws ineffectively tearing away at the burning fur that encased him. It became apparent to him that the fox was beyond feeling pain in his primal rage. A demented barking laugh fell from Naruto's gaping maw as he watched the tanuki struggle with glee in his crimson glare.

"Dobe!"

The yell had Naruto's attention flitting to a human that stood against a wall, staring angrily at the destruction that encased the two beasts. A roughened hiss rolled up from the Kyuubi's throat and he tossed the tanuki aside like a piece of trash. Gaara let out a whimper as he collided with the far wall, his body trembling all over from the burns that had seared away his fur and skin alike. Before he could recover in the slightest, a heavy weight slammed into his side with enough force to break multiple bones. He cried out in agony, tearing at whatever part of the fox's clawed paws he could get at. And then a massive set of jaws clamped down around his sensitive tail, an outright scream filling the destroyed hallways. All it would take was one sharp jerk and it would snap off completely. But a surge of blue chakra that crawled all over the fox's body had it releasing Gaara and whipping it's head around to snarl at two smaller nekogen. They were cats, and if the scent from them was any indication, they were kin to the tanuki.

"Over here, dumbass!" The female yelled out, tears rolling down her dirtied face as she launched attack after attack at the unimpressed fox using a large fan of sorts. Temari panted heavily, trying to keep the Kyuubi's attention desperately. They HAD to save Gaara! Kanuro had been about to unleash his own attacks when two serpentine tails slammed into them, coiling about their smaller forms and throwing them with enough strength to send them flying through several walls.

"Naruto." His name spoken calmly by a familiar voice had the Kyuubi pausing in his violent assault. His ears perked forward as he lifted his head to stare at the black haired man that had called to him earlier. His tongue flicked out to run over his blood laden canines and he stalked toward the one who so boldly interrupted him, not once, but twice. His bulk filled the hallway, the floor groaning in protest beneath the weight of the fox as it moved ever closer, body hunched to allow him better movement. Sasuke stood his ground, glaring up at the blond as he pushed himself away from the support of the wall. The Kyuubi crouched, the jaws that were easily twice Sasuke's size mere inches from the man. And then he took in a great breath, the scent of the human flooding his lungs. Crimson eyes widened in shock, a keening whimper bubbling up from his constricted throat. Mate! His ears flattened against his skull and he lowered himself completely to the unhappy floor, large paws moving to encircle the raven haired male protectively. The heat that should have been skinning Sasuke alive, crawled over every inch of his body, caressing, tasting him outside and in. And the Uchiha braced an arm against the fox's muzzle for support against the intense closeness.

"You are not a monster, remember?" The dark haired man stated bluntly and the fox whined low in his throat, his tongue flicking out to run over Sasuke. His energy waned, draining from his body quickly as he shrank in size dramatically. Within a blink, he was once again a teenager. He teetered unsteadily on his feet, groaning softly. The dramatic shift left him disoriented and light headed. A pair of large arms encircled him as he felt himself stumble, Sasuke's heady scent washing through his frayed senses and calming him. It was okay, his mate was there. "Moron, you pushed yourself too hard."

"Nnn not a moron..." The blond grouched weakly, his voice muffled from being pressed against Sasuke's chest. Sakura dropped from her bound spot on the wall, her whole body trembling in fear from the display she had witnessed. These things... they were not nekogen, not at all. Their strength was terrifying as was the strange, violent need to fight and kill that both, even her little Naru-chan possessed. Wide eyed, she surveyed the damage, grateful that Sasuke had spoken up when he had or the whole building would have been torn to bits in the chaos. Still, the place would take months if not longer to be put back in order. She caught sight of a small, twitching form not far from herself and her eyes widened in surprise. It was alive!?

"S-Sasuke-kun!" She called, her green eyes focused on the broken tanuki that was curled into himself among the rubble. The dark haired male strode calmly over, Naruto cradled easily in his arms despite the remaining ache from the bite. He stared down almost hatefully at the unconscious creature. This thing had nearly destroyed the entire headquarters, killed countless good soldiers, and nearly made his Dobe lose his mind. This thing was the definition of the pets that he exterminated on a daily basis. The Jinchuuriki was dangerous. He needed to die. Moving one hand to grasp the hilt of his sword, he was stopped by a sharp tug on the front of his vest. He looked down into the large, pleading eyes of his blond, surprised by the tears that seemed to gather there.

"Please, don't...don't kill him. He needs me, he needs us, Master?" Naruto whimpered out softly. In all of his days, and the short time he had known the fox, Sasuke never would have thought that he would ever hear that word, that name come from the blond boy. The Uchiha's eyes widened slightly in surprise and his bit his lower lip. Something about the word turned his stomach in a bad way. Naruto should never say it. Ever. It was like watching bad porn or eating cold pizza. It just left you feeling wrong on the inside. Sasuke sighed softly, knowing that he was going to regret this decision and relaxed his posture. The smile that Naruto gave him in response made it all worth it though.

"Fine. But you take care of it," Sasuke grouched softly, setting the re-energized fox down carefully. Sure, Naruto felt tired, but the knowledge that he had saved the tanuki, that he would have another like him around gave him a boost. With a pleading look at Sakura, he asked, "Sakura-chan, can you please heal him enough that I can move him without hurting him more?"

The pinkette looked at Sasuke for approval, obviously not liking the idea of leaving the tanuki alive anymore than the dark haired male. But, because he couldn't find it in him to douse the blond's hope, he nodded silently.

Naruto dropped to his knees next to the fallen red head, his tanned hands taking hold of the other Jinchuuriki's pale one gently as Sakura knelt and allowed her chakra to flow outward. She assessed his condition, noting that the raccoon was slowly beginning to heal, though it would take several weeks if unassisted. He was lucky, very lucky. Carefully, she mended the bleeding organs, reinforced most of the broken bones so that they would not break and shift further when moved, and put a healthy dose of it into the creature's mind to keep him unconscious. The last thing they needed was for the Jinchuuriki to wake up and start thrashing or something. With a worn sigh, she sat back, wiping her brow.

"There. It's only temporary, but he will remain stable for now. We really need to get him to a medical bay where he can be looked at properly," She reported, looking to Sasuke in worry. She and he both knew that Tsunade would not be willing to save the monster that had practically eaten a forth of her staff.

"If he causes any trouble, I'll kill him myself," Sasuke stated coldly and when he met the sad stare of Naruto, the blond nodded faintly. Biting his lower lip, the fox scooped the slightly smaller Jinchuuriki up into his arms, holding the weight with little difficulty. He had to prove that he could handle the other, or they would never let the red head live. With every inch of him, he wanted the tanuki to survive, to become his family, his friend. Determination all but glowing in his blue eyes, he followed the other two along as they took off to report back to Tsunade. They still had an attack to shut down. Two weakened, bloodied forms peered out from the remains of a wall, watching in confusion and fear as their little brother was carried off by the strange fox that had nearly killed him. How were they going to get Gaara back now?

-

Energy, sweet, wonderful energy danced through him, filling him with such a thrilling ecstasy. His Sasuke tasted wonderful. So innocent, despite the blood he was drenched in; the boy was a delightful treat for the snake's senses. He could feel each push of chakra that the young man used, could feel the boy's strength failing him. Hn, it would not be long, not at all. But, Sasuke-kun was not ripe for the taking yet, though Orochimaru had hoped so. That snail bitch had certainly done a good job of blocking the mark for now. However, because Sasuke had activated his chakra, had used so much of it, the mark would one again begin its slow consumption of the other. And then, when the beautiful youth was drained entirely of his humanity, when the only thing that remained was the power hungry, avenging fool that Orochimaru knew him to be, the snake would open his arms wide and welcome his little bird home.

A giddy, slightly demented leer split the long haired man's face and he glanced unconcerned at the now lifeless corpse of the head of the NPS, Sarutobi. How convenient it would have been to take Sasuke and the man's life in one swoop. All well, having at least accomplished this small goal had the snake pleased. He smirked coldly, turning his attention to the pounding fists of his former associate. Tsunade; how she had grown since last he'd seen her. She had filled out a good deal, yet she, like himself, still looked youthful and much like they had upon their parting. Anger, rage, violence simmered in the golden depths of those eyes that he hated. He would kill her soon too, he vowed with a slight nod toward the woman.

He allowed his power to consume him, chakra crawling over his body and without any flair, he vanished from the area, taking with him all of his units. The thick barrier that had kept Tsunade from coming to the aid of her mentor shattered and with a cry, she dropped to his side, checking for vital signs. Before she even looked, she knew he was gone, however, the cold skin only helped make it a reality. She let out a shriek of anger and frustration, unable to prevent the tears that spilled from her. Orochimaru would pay. He would die a thousand times for everything he had done and she would make sure of it. The soldiers behind her were nervous, mumbling among themselves in uncertainty. What would they do without Sarutobi?

Shizune appeared at the busty woman's side, her furred hands moving to rub gently at the blonde's back and arm, a sad mewl escaping her.

"Shizune, prepare for a ceremony to honor our fallen leader... We must morn quickly, for now, we hunt his murderer," Tsunade commanded with such dangerous conviction that the cat woman was reminded strongly of a certain fox. She nodded and motioning commands on soldier speak to the waiting groups, they set about doing what was needed to begin.


End file.
